Winter Solstice
by tallgirl20
Summary: What would have happened if Bella gave birth not only to Renesemee but EdwardJacob too? What inhanced ability would he have and what kind of trouble would await the twins who find themselves completely different those around them. M for violence and lemon
1. Prologue: Birth

Hey guys! This is my first story here on . I just wanted to say that this chapter is from Leah's pov, but only this chapter.

Also! I do not own Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, or Breaking Dawn. But, my new characters are from my own mind. However small that may be.

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Birth – Prologue

~Leah~

I hated her. Hated her with such a fierce hate that I felt as if I would die if I didn't act. How dare she keep hurting my Alpha Male! How dare she?! Every single day I felt his pain. Every day I felt his struggle to deal with what _she_ had done to him. It had gone far enough. Today would be the end of it. She would leave him alone. I would make sure of it.

Jacob was the only thing I had left now, except for my brother. My annoyingly happy brother who couldn't understand what was going on with me. No, he didn't understand the pain I felt. The pain of loving someone, truly loving that person with all your heart, only to have them ripped away by some secret magic that shouldn't even exist. The legends were not supposed to be true. Sam wasn't supposed to be taken from me like that.

I smiled but I knew it was twisted to a snarl. He hadn't even had the guts to tell me why I was suddenly so unimportant. No, I didn't even deserve an explanation. I wasn't good enough for him. One day everything was fine. The next I saw him. His eyes going all soft as he looked at her scared face. Then he had kissed her. In front of me!! Blatantly dismissing me. I wasn't good enough for him. But she was. Oh I hated her too. _Emily_. I hated her more now that I finally understood why the loving looks that used to be directed solely at me were now irrevocably focused on his once ex. He had imprinted on her. He didn't care about me at all.

I had only realized that fact when I had suddenly fallen extremely ill. My body had felt like it was on fire all day. Then it had gotten worse. I had started shaking. It felt like I was shaking apart, my skin blazed. Then I felt like I exploded. A scream had tore trough my body and it exploded outward. My confusion lasted less than a minute before I realized there were voices in my head. Feelings that weren't mind now flooded my mind. In that second that seemed to last an eternity, I knew everything. Whatever self control I had was suddenly blinded away by the surge of emotions. Resentment. Hot consuming despair. Finally, searing anger. Hate. I hated those blood suckers who had not only stolen my love from me but had now made me this freak, and I hated that girl. The one Sam's life was now completely centered on.

I hated it. I wanted to escape. All that love that washed over me as I was changed. It was far too much for my broken heart to bear. I shouldn't have to bear it. I wasn't fair!!! I wanted nothing more to run away and break the connection that forced me to suffer. Jacob had offered that to me. The relief that came with separation for the pack was too immense for words. The undercurrent of love that all those imprinted males gave off had been only feeding my hate, my despair. But, my relief was so short I almost missed the bliss. Now Jacob's pain overshadowed everything else. The exact same pain as mine. It amplified mine tenfold to experience his as well. The stupid puppy wasn't even smart enough to run away. He had to stay and be a masochist. I wouldn't have cared if it didn't force me to do the same. The sooner he got over it, the sooner I could too.

That would start today. I had defiantly had enough of this nonsense. The bloodsuckers were too sweet to the little tramp. She deserved to know exactly what she was doing to Jacob. If she was even remotely worth him, she would finally release him from the sick prison he found himself in. I bounded quickly through the woods.

_Jacob isn't going to want you to do that._

_Shut it! Like you could stop me._

I felt his desire to fight me just for kicks.

_You better rethink that. I wouldn't hold back. _

I even felt his stupid grin through our connection. Murderous rage built in me.

_Whoa, chill, sis. Edward won't let you in the house if you keep thinking that._

I took his advice and suppressed the rage that was continuing to build in me. It irked me that he still called the bloodsucker by his name.

I felt his mental shrug. _I like Edward._

The growl that came through my lips shut his mental voice up. I came into the clearing where _their_ house was. I had expected the stupid mind reader to be out here waiting for me. Strangely enough he wasn't. I made me apprehensive. I waited in the brush as I heard voices from in the house. One was Jacob's. I couldn't quite make out the words I was on the far side of the clearing, but I did realize he was upset. The slim control I had over my rage was quickly diminishing. _What had she done now!!!!_

I saw Jacob sprint out of the house, the mind reader was watching from the door with a slightly pained, slightly euphoric look on his face. What the Hell was wrong with him? Something in my gut told me that something had defiantly changed. As much as I hated the bloodsucker, he at least sided with us on the whole front to kill Edward junior. Somehow my instincts told me that had changed. It was the only thing apart from the tramp's death that might send Jacob so far over the edge.

I listened as a car quickly purred to life. It must have been one of the expensive ones. It shot out of the garage. Jacob sent me an apologetic look that didn't completely cover the shear pain he was feeling. My eyes shifted off his the next second. Now was the perfect time for little miss tramp to know exactly what I felt about her. She would pay for the pain he felt.

Mind reader's eyes finally met mine the second I looked toward the house.

_I'm speaking with your little lover._

He frowned. "I don't know if you can behave."

_I won't murder her. I know better._

He didn't seem to trust me at all. Good, because I didn't trust him either. Stupid sucker.

"I won't translate for you."

I understood what he meant. I would have to phase out. I would have to be _human_ in the room. The hair on my body stood on end at the thought of being that vulnerable with the whole pack of bloodsuckers.

"We wouldn't attack you unless you attacked first." The stupid mind reader explained.

_Stay out of my head! _I yelled at him. He didn't even flinch from my words. I did feel Seth flinch though. I almost felt sorry for him. Not quite though. I was otherwise occupied. Namely staring down a blood sucker.

"Well."

I didn't say a word. I just forced my body to phase out. The strange exploding feeling left me crouched on the forest floor completely naked. I quickly grabbed the huge T-shirt that Jacob usually wore. It covered all my private areas. I moved quickly across the clearing. When I was almost at the first step, I hesitated. It reeked so badly. My nose was burning. It was warning me to stay away from them. Mind reader waited patiently at the door. _Gee, how considerate of him._ I thought sarcastically. He ignored my taunt.

I pushed past my animal instincts and entered the enemy's lair. I noticed immediately that some of the vampires were missing. _Good, less distractions_. Must be off getting more blood for the half-breed and his _sweet_ mother. He was due soon after all, only four days now. Couldn't let him be malnourished now could we?

Bella looked up from the couch that she was laying on. Her cup of blood always present in her hand. She was confused. Didn't take the mind reader to figure that out. I felt something strange as I looked into her eyes. I felt a pull to go to her. My eyes widened. _What the HELL!? _My rage grew. Now Jacob's insane reaction to her was affecting me too. Oh this had to stop now! Fury radiated off of me.

"Leah? Why are you here?"

She would pay for the pain that I had to endure. "You are one sick girl." I voiced in a low menacing voice.

"What-"

"Is one man just not enough for you? You just aren't satisfied with having a bloodsucker all to yourself are you?!" She flinched at bloodsucker. "You have to bring Jacob through this too."

"I can explain-"

"Oh, I'm sure this will be a fantastic explanation. What do you _love_ him too? Can't bear to be apart from him?"

She flinched. Good, she deserved this pain.

"What kind of girl are you?!" I snarled. "Your selfishness forces that stupid puppy to follow you around like a lapdog. How dare you do that to my Alpha! He deserves more that the pain you keep inflicting on him by dragging him through this with you."

She was about to argue. I smelt the salty tears gathering in her eyes.

"Don't you dare try and tell me you didn't mean to hurt him. I feel it! Every single time he phases, I feel the pain that cuts so deep it makes me want to howl! Let him go." My voice had turned to steal. She choked.

"By what little good there is in you, stop being such a selfish child and let him go. You've done enough damage to him. Quite making them deeper. Today was the last straw. I have no idea what happened. But I refuse to let you hurt him like that again. Make up your damn mind. Just leave us alone!"

I was breathing hard; the shaking had covered my entire body. I was fighting the phase with all I had. I couldn't even speak anymore. My teeth were grinding together with the force that would have crushed them if I had been normal.

I glared at her crying face once more. A sick sort of satisfaction went through me at the sight of those tears. _HA! Feel some of the pain I have to feel, stupid girl._ I felt the stone cold grip on my arm then. I tried to recoil from it, but couldn't. His grip was too hard for me to break in human form. He dragged me from the room and threw me out of the house. I phased in the air and landed in a crouch ready for an attack.

"I think you said enough." The silky smooth demon's voice commanded.

I was still panting, but I was satisfied. I had said my piece. With a sneer I realized it had been an added bonus that she had cried. His low guttural growl warned me away from such thoughts. I let out an amused bark as I moved back into the trees. I felt much better now.

_Don't you think you were a little harsh?_

_You know she deserved what she got._

_Bella's a nice girl, Leah. She just got herself in a bad spot._

_Don't you ever talk about her like that in front of me! _I snarled at him.

I herd him mentally sigh before continuing his monitoring.

Hours past and I noticed the fresh tracks of two of the vampires. They must have brought back some provisions for the half-breed. Oh goody. I continued on with my scouting. My mind kept going back to the moment when I had looked into Bella's eyes and experienced first hand what Jacob always felt when he looked at her. I felt my annoyance grew.

_You felt it?_ Seth asked incredulously.

_Shut up. _I grumbled.

_You know, that's really weird, Leah. Maybe you should talk to Jacob about it when he gets back._

_Why would I do that?_

_You know he will eventually find out when he phases back. Besides, I don't feel that way when I look at her. _

My irritation moved through the link we shared.

_Just saying._

_Yeah, yeah. Keep your thoughts to yourself next time._

_Can't do that unless I joined Sam's pack._

The sear pain that _his_ name caused in me forced a whimper of panic from me. It hurt so freaking much. Why couldn't it just go away?

I felt Seth's frustration with himself and his concern for me. He was charging through the forest to get to me. _Idiot brother._ He bounded to where I was and nuzzled against my neck. I hated how vulnerable I felt, but I didn't turn away from his offered affection.

_I'm really sorry, sis. Really, really sorry. I won't say it again. Promise._

As much as I hated that he had said it, I couldn't hold onto my anger at him. I wasn't a complete bitch. And I needed his support right now. I nuzzled back against him in response. The moment of family bonding ended as we both picked up the hum of a well tuned sports car returning.

_Jacob's back. _

_We should go to him. Something happened at the house. _

_Really, that bad huh?_

_Yeah, I haven't seen him that shook up since he found out she was pregnant._

We charged back through the trees and beat him to the meadow. He gave us a brief nod before parking in the garage.

_Guess he will explain later. _

_Do you really think he's ok? _Seth asked. His concern for Jacob was total. He was such a loyal puppy.

_Hey!_

I snickered. He pushed me playfully before he whimpered and bounding over to see how Jacob was for himself.

"Hey, kid." I heard the total exhaustion in his voice. He as weary.

"S'all cool." He said in response to Seth's concerned look. I snorted. _Yeah right. _"I'll tell you about it later. Sorry to take off on you like that."

My brother being the gullible fool that he was completely trusted his Alpha's words. I however knew better. But I tried to keep my thoughts to myself. No need for my little brother to know the truth just yet.

"Hey, tell your sister to back off now, okay? Enough."

Seth nodded even as he thought. _Here that, Leah? I told you he wouldn't want you to do that._

I rolled my eyes in my head. _Whatever._

"Get back to work. I'll spell you in a bit." He said to Seth. I took that as my leave to go. I didn't want to be around that house anymore anyway even here the sickly sweet smell bothered me. Besides, now that I knew Jacob would be explaining what happened later, I felt no more desire to stay by that house. I ignored the residual pull to visit Bella. Jacob was defiantly going to hear about it.

I was already back at the normal surveillance path when I heard the bloodcurdling scream that came from back at the house. My hair stood up on end. The animal in me was instinctively frightened. Something extremely _wrong_ had just happened. From the almost instantaneous recognition of the female voice, I knew it was Bella who was hurt. Somehow I doubted it was from anything other that the thing she carried inside of her. The hatred welled up in me again as my brother's frantic thought reverberated in my head.

_BELLA! Leah, what happened? Where are you?_

I didn't want my brother anywhere near that horrible place if something wrong had occurred.

_I'm not a child, Leah. _

_Oh yes, you are. Stay on the path. Someone needs to make sure no one attacks right now. I'm going to help Jacob._

_Leah-_

_No. I refuse to let you in there._

I had been racing back to the house as I talked to Seth. He didn't approve. I felt him sulking across our link, but I paid it no mind. The only thoughts in my mind were for Jacob. I had no idea what had happened but I didn't want Jacob to be hurt worse by it. I couldn't deal with anymore pain from him.

I phased out when I got to the meadow. I cursed as I realized the shirt I normal wore had been ruined by the forced change that afternoon. I raced to the opposite side to take Seth's shirt instead. I was wasting precious seconds. Something was wrong. My instincts were going haywire. I finally located Seth's shirt. It was almost at the complete opposite end of the clearing. I growled under my breath in exasperation.

I yanked the cloth over my head and sprinted across the clearing. I focused my hearing. One heartbeat I recognized as Jacob's he was coming down the stairs. I heard another one coming from upstairs. It was so slow and faint I barely caught it. I realized it must be Bella's. The baby had come early. I grimaced. She sounded like she was an inch from death.

But just before I entered the house, third heartbeat caused me to skid to a stop. It was light and fluttering, but it was strong. The half-breed was alive. Fury blew through my system and I slammed the door open. My eyes widened as I focused on my Alpha. He was staring across the room. No he wasn't staring, I knew that look. Suddenly it wasn't Jacob standing in font of me. It was Sam. It was not my Sam. It was _her_ Sam. The one who was suddenly completely lost to me.

_The imprint._

My world crumbled apart as I looked at his face. It was full of adoration and wonder. He was gone. My last hope for any sense of peace had been shattered by that half-breed. That mini-demon had stolen it all. I forced my vicious glare to focus on her chocolate eyes. _Just like her mother._

I snapped. It wasn't this little demon's fault. Not it was solely her mother's. I heard the beating upstairs growing faster. She was changing. She would live! Desperation changed to a fury I felt all through my shaking limps, everyone else would have a happy ending. They would all live happily ever after. Everyone except me. I lost all rational thought. Someone else would pay for my blinding pain. She would pay. Bella would die.

I raced up the stairs following the smell of human blood that was covering all the sickly sweet smell that burned against my noise. _She will die._ Fury pushed me past the door, I faltered as a glanced upon the gruesome scene. Bella's mangled corps was lying on some sort of hospital bed but her stomach was merely a gaping whole filled with her blood. I would have been sick if the pain I felt had not left me completely numb.

Edward glanced up at me and let out a warning growl. He quickly began biting her again. He had gone insane. My heart ached so much I couldn't stand. I would never be able to kill Bella before Edward killed me. I was the only one who would feel this grief. I was the only one who didn't have a happy ending.

I slid to the ground, my eyes unfocused on the floor just underneath Bella's bed.

_Ba-bump_

My eyes widened. What the hell?

_Ba-bump, ba-bump._

I recognized the same sort of flighty heart beat as the demon downstairs. There was another one?! Where the hell was it?! I would kill it!

I stared back down at the floor below Bella. There was nothing there. Nothing. Just her blood.

That was until I found myself staring into those same chocolate eyes. The exact same ones as the ones that had ensnared Jacob. The pull on my heart was harder. I felt my nerves fraying. My eyes widened as I realize what was happening to me.

"NO! NO! NO!" I said as more and more ties were broken.

I screamed as all those ties refocused on the demon in front of me. After all my fears, after all my pain. I finally did it. I imprinted. And it was on a demon. No, he wasn't a demon. He was mine. I was his. I felt all the pain in my heart clipped away was I continued to stare into his eyes. They were like an ocean of bliss. I was finally free of all my pain. He had erased the pain. I was free.

I heard Edward's cry of surprise and he finally turned from his corpse bride to look at where my eyes were focused.

"What on earth?"

"EdwardJacob" I murmured in complete awe at my savior.

The little half-child made a gurgling noise and reached his hand toward me. I moved to stand right before him and moved my hand to touch his. His bloody fingers rapped around mine. The heat of them surprised me. I felt an immense joy spread through my body as I smiled down at the little child.

"EdwardJacob"

He smiled back at me, and my whole world changed.


	2. 1: Starting New

AN: Here is the first actual chapter of Winter Solstice. I worked really hard on it and I hope that you like it. It's a realtively easy chapter, but the next one starts major plot movement. So, enjoy and please review. I don't care if you hate it or love it or don't really feel either, I just want to know what you think.

Disclaimer: I do not own the books or characters from the Twilight series. Mrs. Meyer does and she's awesome.

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1 ~ Starting New

~EdwardJacob~

There are some things that I have learned are instinctual to vampires. Stillness is one of these qualities. They feel no need to move, no compulsions to do anything except feed. Even that compulsion can be suppressed. They have no sense of time. Life to them is a continual day that will only end with their death.

They are not human. Neither am I. Yet, I feel compulsions similar to humans. I have a heart beat. Blood flows through my body fluttering and quick. It makes me vulnerable. I can never become the marble-like statues who are completely free of human weaknesses like my parents. I require sleep. I tire. I am not a vampire.

I am not human. I am not vampire.

There are others who fit into this state of limbo. The werewolves. Though the similarities between us are smaller than the other two beings, we share a massive body heat and enhanced senses. They have always been near my family. Since I do share some of the characteristics of vampires, my memory was enhanced to complete recall of past events. The first one I met was the only female wolf that we know of. I remember the rage I felt coming off of her, but at the time I didn't know why she was so angry. In fact, as I child I felt comforted by her presence even if she was 'feisty' as Emmett put it. I got off track though. Another characteristic I share with my parents is the vastness of mental capabilities and enhanced senses. With the enhanced perception, we are easily overwhelmed and can loose focus. I do not share the sheer precision of a vampire, but my enhanced senses are enough for me to become lost if I do not focus.

I am not human. I am not vampire. I am not werewolf.

For the longest time, I was a confusing puzzle to my family. My sister was much easier to understand. Her ability was straight forward much like her personality. She could show any memory complete with emotions to any who touched her body. My grandfather and father could not explain my unique gifts. How could they have not noticed me during conception? Why had my father not heard my mental voice when he could clearly hear my sister's? Why had no one noticed my birth until Leah saw me below my mother's changing body?

The answer was simple in a way. My ability allows me to completely disappear from the sight, senses and abilities of others. It is like I never existed. In simple terms I was clocked. But it was a very strong gift. My grandfather had first thought it was a protection based skill. That it was activated by my sense of fear. But that was proved wrong. Even when only in the presence of my mother, I was usually clocked. It made it very difficult for my parents to raise me when I was young. They had tried to explain the strange sensation of holding me. They said it was like holding air.

It took a very long time to gain any sense of control over it because it was instinctively on. I inherited that from my parents whose gifts are continuously on as well. It takes intense mental focus to make myself visible as it goes against my instincts. Seven years were spent training my mind until I finally gained the control needed to remain visible while consciously awake. I had yet to master the other elements of my abilities, such as opening my mind to others' abilities. I wasn't exactly working hard on that either. I like my mother valued the privacy I had because of my unique gift. We have a name for it now, though it was not my family who named it. It was the Egyptians.

"Amun!" the hidden one.

I looked down from the tree limb that was my current resting place. I raised my eyebrow at my sister. Her shinning hair caught the early morning light. It had continued to grow as she did. Much to Alice's continual enjoyment, Renesmee loved having it long. I didn't understand the fascination Alice had with dolling her up, but she seemed to lighten up at the possibilities. Even I was not able to escape her whimsical desires, I had no stay in any item of my wardrobe. I gave up thoughts of rebellion long ago.

"Yes?"

"Come on! Today's the BIG day!" Her eyes were sinning with the shear excitement she held for today. Nessie was always a curious girl. It was only heightened now that we would be entering high school for the first time.

"I'm coming. Be there in a second." I looked back out to the trees. I had always liked nature. It seemed to invite one to merge with it. I liked it. It was like me.

I blinked as chocolate eyes, the exact replica of mine, suddenly filled my vision. A sigh escaped my lips at the frown on her face.

"Come on! You day dream too much. I wanna go already. Don't you want to see what the humans are like? I know you do. Come on. Come on." She tugged on my arm as she finished. Even after almost nine years of life with a mental age of seventeen, my sister still acted like a fledgling.

"Nessie, you already know what humans are like. Pops is one. We've known him from year one." I explained as she practically pulled me out of the tree.

"I know that," she said as we landed noiselessly on the forest floor. She looked back at me as if to emphasize the importance of the next words, "but not _teenagers_. They're supposed to be our age! Well, not our human ages. Our mental ages! Doesn't that sound so cool? Mamma can be so protective; I can't believe she wouldn't let us meet one before now. And she's the youngest member of the family apart from us! She's in her thirties."

"Not going to include Jake?" I teased her. I saw the subtle blush on her face. Dad said it reminded him of Mom when she was human. He said Mom could rarely hide her feeling from him even if he couldn't read her mind. Sis defiantly took after her.

"Oh hush! You know what I mean. Jake's different."

"Uh huh." I mused as we entered the house through the upper window. She tried to kick me back out the window, but I easily dogged. The family would usually meet in the kitchen in the morning. I could have smelled the eggs and bacon cooking from almost a half a mile away. The wolf members of the family must be here already and using the otherwise pointless kitchen.

"I found him!!" My sister's voice rang through the house. It wasn't necessary. Everyone would have heard her if she had whispered, but then in her words 'where's the fun in that?'

Jake's head popped around the door frame that lead to the upstairs kitchen. I tried to contain my smirk. He was really obvious.

"Hmh! Houwm urph ymn?" He tried to say as he devoured the breakfast that piled his plate.

"Jacob," I heard the twinkling sound of my mother's musical voice scold from inside the kitchen. "how many times to I have to tell you not to talk with your mouth full. Honestly, I'm not your mother."

I heard Jake's substantial gulp and sigh. "Aw, come on Bella. Lighten up."

"Hey! That was my piece. No fair, Leah. Geez, I thought girls weren't supposed to eat as much as guys."

I stepped into the kitchen and had a seat at the enormous dinner table. Leah was currently rolling her eyes at her brother.

"I'm a wolf too, you know. Bounding through the woods would make anyone hungry."

Jake's booming laugh almost hurt my ears. "You do have an abnormal appetite, Leah don't blame it on the running." Her death glare would have rivaled my father's.

"So, how are the transfer students feeling this morning?" Carlisle asked as he entered the room.

"I still wish I could have been adopted." Seth frowned.

"We could have forced you to stay back at the rez if we knew you were going to complain so much." Jake said to a disappointed Seth.

Carlisle merely shook his head. Seth understood that with Renesmee, me, and my mother the family couldn't grow any larger without attracting too many unwanted questions. The wolves were merely Rez students who were transferring to normal high school to complete their learning.

"I didn't mean it Jake. You wouldn't send me back would ya?"

"Nah, I don't want to share Leah's girly mind alone." He had to quickly dodge the pancake which was thrown like a bullet toward his head.

"Still playing with your food? Aren't you a little old for that?" My father's amused voice taunted as he intercepted the projectile/food before it could do damage to the house.

Leah rolled her eyes. Even after my birth, they had never been very close. I think it had a lot to do with his mind reading abilities. She didn't seem to like him seeing everything that passed through her thoughts. I had even seen him throw a dark glare at her occasionally. It made me curious as to what she was thinking. He usually saved those glares for Jacob.

"Your one to talk." She mumbled. "Least I didn't fall in love with it."

It was then that Alice's small body danced into the room. Jasper was following slowly in her wake.

"You're going to like high school, Nessie." She said as she started arranging my sister's hair as she always did in the morning. It looked like braids today. Her hands were moving a little too quickly for me to understand the complicated weave. Nessie looked back at her in confusion.

"I thought you couldn't see our future, Alice." I said voicing Nessie's unspoken question. She flashed an almost wicked smile at us.

"Oh, I can't. But, I do know you two. It's going to be great. I'm confident you won't bite anyone."

"I wonder if they will be as frightened of halfies as they are of full fledged vampires." Emmett mussed with a grin. "It might be cool to see them act like Bella did."

"What's that supposed to mean?" My mom fake glared at him. She could never really say mad at Emmett. It was a mystery to me why.

"Please, Bella, you could barely talk in his presence. Don't try to pretend you weren't entranced." Rosalie said with a flip of her hair.

Mom looked back over at Dad, her stare turned mushy as she moved over to him. He wrapped his arms around her and put his chin on the top of her head. "I was pretty irresistible. What did you call it, Bella?" His voice had dropped to an almost purr. "Dazzling? And I was worried about my control." He chuckled. "Bella was the wild one."

"Can you please not do that when I'm in the room?" I shivered as unwanted mental images played in my head. Mom gave a shy smile.

"Sorry, EJ."

"Don't forget you can't call me that at school. It would be hard to explain why Dad's supposed little brother's name was the merging of his and the transfer student who always hung around them."

"I won't dream of it, Amun." She said.

I personally like Amun better. EdwardJacob wasn't all that trilling of a name. Especially when you were in constant contact with the two people you were named after. And one of them had the hots for your sister. Emmett felt Amun was catchy. He was the first to actively use the nickname after the Egyptians. Most of the others followed suit, but my mother completely refused. She still called me EJ. Even that was better than full out EdwardJacob.

Carlisle looked down at his expensive watch. "I've got to be going. The early shift was in need of extra hands. Good luck." He looked specifically at me and Nessie. "I hope you have a good time."

"Don't worry. They will." Alice said in her normal no questions asked tone even if it was baseless when it came to me and my sister.

"Done!" Jacob bellowed. I looked away from Alice toward the wolves. The plates were suddenly gone as my Grandmother Esme appeared at the kitchen sink with clean dishes in her hands. She really was a fast cleaner. It was no wonder why there was never a stain in the house.

"Ready to leave?" Leah asked. I looked over at the female werewolf. She had her head resting in the open palm of her left hand. Her eyes were fixed on my chocolate ones.

"I think so."

"You're not worried are you?" She asked as the others went about their own conversations. I heard the faint tease behind her words even as I heard Alice explaining teenage fashion to my sister.

"What would I be worried about?" I said as I gave her my undivided attention.

She raised an eyebrow at me in disbelief. "You don't expect me to believe that do you?"

"Don't see why not." I said.

Leah confused me. She always seemed to know exactly what I was thinking. Like she was attuned to my feelings. I just figured it had something to do with the imprint that bound her to me. I had only gotten a vague explanation when I had asked Jacob about it. When I asked Dad, he had said she would explain it in time. Time turned out to be longer than I had expected it to be. I still didn't have answers.

Her lips quirked into a grin. I knew she didn't believe me, but I really didn't want to talk about it in a room of supersensitive hearing vampires and werewolves. Thanks to her, my unease had been brought back to the forefront of my mind. I was nervous about school. It wasn't that I felt I couldn't keep up intellectually. It was all the people. Potential enemies, threats. Even though they were human, I knew my body would interpret them that way. I would be fighting my instincts all day and wasn't looking foreword to it. Honestly, I wasn't as sure in my ability to keep control as Alice seemed to be. What if I got too overwhelmed and suddenly disappeared from the hall? That would go over real well with the humans. What if one of their scents was too strong for me to resist? I knew I didn't have my father's control and Alice would never see it coming. She never could with us.

My unease was growing, and I needed to relax again so I could keep under control. I let the subconscious part of my mind that was holding my abilities back drop. I felt the rush of safety envelope me and smiled. Finally, I could get some peace. Leah's eyes were still boring into mind, but I knew she couldn't see me. None of them could. She shook her head after a minute and turned to listen to the conversation between Seth and Jacob.

"I think we should do some extra scouting of the area just to be safe." Jacob was saying. Seth nodded obediently.

"You don't expect there to be any dangers here do you? Alice hasn't seen any visitors coming. There are no other permanent settlements in the Americas apart from ours." Leah argued. "It would be a waste of time. "

"If anything, it can help us better understand the animal patterns in these woods. Besides, we need to phase to make sure we don't start aging again. Scouting is a good use of the phase."

"Alright," Leah conceded. "When are you going to do this?"

I didn't really need to hear anymore and now that Leah was listening to Jacob intently I could slip away without her attention focused on me. She always did know how to find me even when I was cloaked. It was better to run while she was occupied.

I left swiftly back toward my tree. I had at least a couple of minutes before we had to leave. Jumping onto my favorite limp, I leaned my head back against the tree. The morning fog left the air damp. The scent of the forest seemed amplified by it. I inhaled its unique scent and allowed it to calm me further.

I heard the slight shifting of the grass before the branch dipped with another body. I growled under my breath but didn't open my eyes. I knew who it was. Her earthen smell almost blended in to the forest's sent. Almost. I would recognize it anywhere. She knew that.

"You seem even more moody than usual." Leah commented. "You missed the worried looks your mom threw at your empty chair after you disappeared."

I sighed again. Mom worried too much. "I'm _fine_." I repeated.

"What's really bothering you? Is it the smell or your ability?" My irritation was growing. Leah just wouldn't let it go. I snapped my eyes open to see her straddling the limb. A picture of ease with her hands behind her.

"Leah," I growled in a low voice. _Leave it be._ I didn't need to add that part. She understood.

Her face twisted into a challenging smirk. "What are you going to do? Bite me?"

I launched myself at her. Her laugh was interrupted by the boom of our colliding bodies. She twisted in the air trying to land on her feet, but I pinned her arms.

She let out a grunt as she connected with the ground. "Cheater." She said to the air above her as she rolled back. Her feet connected with my invisible stomach sending me over her body and onto the forest floor about ten feet from her. I touched my stomach. It didn't hurt at all. She was holding back.

I slowly circled around her. Her eyes followed my progress. A smug smile on her face. I darted to the side and then attacked her middle with my leg. The collision sent her back a few feet but she held her ground.

"That all you got?" She taunted.

"Hardly." I replied.

I pushed back my ability with relative ease. She grinned as I materialized in front of her and the next second I was blocking her hands at lighting speed as she tried to penetrate my defenses. I caught a slight opening and suddenly she was flying back against my favorite tree. I heard the tree groan in protest before it cracked and toppled backward with a crash to the forest floor.

"Aw, man."

Her laugh was more of a bark as she let her animal side take over. A low snarl came from between her teeth. I quirked my head to the side.

"Now I have to change again before school." She said as she looked back over her shoulder. "You know Alice will make me where something way too fancy. Thanks."

I laughed again. _Women_.

She moved to all fours and was almost at me when Alice appeared between us.

"Did I hear you were in need of a shirt?" She eyes twinkled with mirth and satisfaction. "You know I would gladly redo you wardrobe. I know just the thing-"

"No thank you, Alice. For the third time today, I don't want new clothes."

She grinned.

"But you do need a new shirt."

Leah sighed in defeat as Alice quickly whisked her toward her house-size closet. Leah sent me one last look as she disappeared into the house. A smug smile was on her face.

"What was that for?" I mused as I headed back into the house. She didn't have any reason to be so smug I had had the advantage this morning. Who was the one who went flying into the tree? I grinned. Definitely her.

"Who won today?" Emmett grinned as I walked back into the kitchen.

"Me."

"Hell yes!" He said as he patted me on the shoulder. I had to brace myself not to collapse under his strength.

Mom sighed. "Why do you two always fight?"

"I don't know but the score currently stands: Me: 543 wins; Leah: 541."

Jasper flashed a grin. He should be pleased. He had taught me all I knew about fighting as he was an expert. I had to admit, he was a beast. I was extremely glad he was on our side.

"Fine!" I heard Leah yell. I tried to focus my hearing, but she mumbled the last words too softly for me to hear. I did notice the rest of the family apart from Renesemee exchanged smiles. I wished I had their hearing.

"I hate you, Alice." I heard Leah growl as she rushed into the kitchen.

I saw Alice's satisfied smile. "I know."

I looked back over my shoulder to see Leah trying to hide behind her brother. I tried to suppress my laughter. Emmett didn't even try. He started laughing just as Jacob started too. I was so unlike Leah to cower behind anyone.

"Is it that bad?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

The look of sheer anger that came flying my way only made me want to laugh harder. I couldn't hold it back. I laughed. I was too busy laughing to notice the fist flying my way. Leah's hand connected with my head. Unprepared for her assault, I went skidding backwards into my father.

"Sorry, Dad."

He surged as he steadied me.

I turned to get a good look at what had Leah so riled up when I saw legs. Long legs. My brain wasn't really adding up what I saw. What happened to Leah's jeans? I looked up.

"You got Leah in a dress?" I said in dumbfound disbelief.

"How did you manage that?" Seth asked.

Alice teeth flashed, but she didn't answer. "Blackmail." My dad said.

"Wow that must be some good dirt." Seth said still looking at his sister. "I haven't seen her in a dress since, well. Never mind." He finished timidly as Leah advanced on him.

"It looks nice." I said. She turned around and raised her fist. But then she blinked like she was confused.

"What did you say?"

"It looks nice." I repeated. Her hand dropped slowly to her side.

"Oh." I shot her a confused look. Now who was the one acting weird?

"I wanna go now!!! Can't we leave for school now? Please!" Nessie said as she unleashed her puppy dog eyes at Dad. She had finished admiring Leah's dress.

"Yes we can." He said as he shot a small annoyed glance at Leah.

"YES!!!!!!" Nessie shouted. "Oh! Shotgun!"

"Which car?" Emmett asked. "Jeep or Volvo?"

Nessie shot him a mortified look. "Jeep! I can't ride in the Volvo. I want to look cool for the first day of school. I read on the internet that Volvo's were mainly driven by _old_ people." She looked knowingly at my father who held the Volvo keys in his hand.

"Are you trying to say I'm old?" He asked amused.

Nessie nodded vigorously. "Yes. You are old, Dad."

Mom's chime-like laugh echoed through the house. "Don't worry, Edward. I still ride in the Volvo with you. I will even risk being seen as _uncool_."

"How considerate of you." He said wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

I rolled my eyes. They were at it again.

"I'm going in the Jeep too. I can't stand it when they act all lovely dovey."

"Nice!" Emmett said as he grabbed the jeep keys. "I'm driving."

"Let's go! Let's go!" Nessie said as she bounded toward the garage.

Emmett took off after her like a shot. I suddenly regretted my decision to go with them. They were really hyper.

"Come on, Amun! We're leaving you!" I heard Nessie shout from the garage. I sighed as the engine revved.

"See you at school guys." I said to the rest of the group as I raced toward the jeep. As soon as I was in, Emmett floored it and we were off. Nessie was practically bouncing up and down in her seat. I rolled my eyes towards the window and watched as my new home was quickly covered by the trees. Almost too quickly we arrived at the massive building that the humans called a school.

Nessie was out of the car almost too fast, but her eyes were too busy taking in the atmosphere to be bothered by my warning for her to slow down. I joined her beside the car to wait for the rest of the family to arrive.

"Oh my GOD!" Someone's voice reached my sensitive ears.

"What?" A girl asked.

"Look over there, by the Jeep." The first voice continued in hushed, awed voice.

"Oh. My. God." I heard the broken response from the second one.

"Are they models? He's so fine! I call dibs!"

"What?! No fair. I saw him first."

"You did not. I did. You wouldn't even have noticed him if I hadn't told you."

"Whatever. It won't matter because I'm prettier than you."

"As if."

"I'm going to go talk to him now."

"Like hell! Wait."

"What?"

"Do you see Damien? He's _staring_ at the girl."

A gasp. "We have to tell Britney. He's practically undressing her with his eyes. That little cheater."

"You go tell Brit."

"Right."

"Sucker. Now, he's all mine." I heard the first girl mutter under her breath. A few seconds later, her voice was much closer than before. "Hi there. I'm Amanda."

I turned to look at the human girl. The smell of her blood was almost completely masked by some type of floral scent. It was way to strong and stung my noise.

"What's your name?" She asked as she leaned closer.

"Amun." I replied while trying not to choke on her strong perfume. I took a small step back to gain some breathable air.

"That's a weird name."

"Hey, Amun. You already making friends?" To my relief, I felt Emmett come up behind me. The girl whose name was Amanda looked frightened by the mammoth Emmett.

"Um, well, I have to go. See you later, Amun." She said as she darted away.

I shook my head and looked up at the still grinning Emmett.

"Alice thought I would like this?" I asked. If this was what high school was, I wasn't sure I really wanted to go anymore.

"What?" Nessie's head popped around Emmett's frame. "Didn't like her flirting. It meant she likes you."

"I'm not an idiot, Nessie."

I saw my parents' car arriving and let out as sigh of relief as I saw the wolves' SUV right behind it. Never was I happier to see them in my life.

"You little cheater!" I heard a familiar female voice exclaim.

"S'not my fault that you went to see Britney."

"You did it on purpose so you could talk to him alone."

"So what if I did?"

"I can't believe you!"

Leah got out of the car and turned to me. "What's the matter?"

I shook my head. "I don't think I'm going to like teenage girls."

I noticed my dad had that look on his face.

"I can't stand the girls or the boys."

Mom put a hand on his shoulder. "Play nice."

His eyes narrowed onto one in particular. "He had better not try that on my daughter." A low snarl ripped through his throat.

"Edward." Mom warned. "You aren't her father here."

Emmett stepped up. "Brothers can still kick their asses. Which one was it, Edward?" A grin on his face.

"Far corner of the lot. I'll go with you." He said in a dark voice.

They were moving away before my mother could do anything else. "Edward! Emmett! There's a rule against fighting!" She tried to persuade them to come back.

"What's got them all worked up?" Jacob asked as he rounded the car.

"I think one of the guys thought something about me that Dad didn't like." Nessie explained. I didn't think that was the best thing to tell Jacob. I sighed as realized I was right. His eyes darkened.

"Hey! Wait for me. I'll kick his ass!" Jake said as he went to catch up with my 'siblings.'

"Alice?" I said as I looked towards her.

She cocked her head to me. "Yes?"

"They don't do anything too stupid do they?" I asked.

"Nope. They don't have too. Your brother's intimidate them. Vampires tend to do that to humans."

"Can we go in then?" Nessie practically pulled Mom's sleeve off her shoulder.

"Yeh, we can."

"YES! Come on, Amun! Let's go!" Nessie said as she moved to the building with our mother.

I gave one last glance back to where Emmett, Dad, and Jake were cornering a group of high school boys then followed after my mom and sister.

"Hey, man, I wasn't going do anything…." I heard a faint voice from the far corner of the lot. I smirked. He had better not try anything. Nessie was my sister after all.


	3. 2: Aftertaste

AN: Hellow~ I'm not sure what to say up here other than I finally found a name i like for this story. It's Winter Solstice. It's the day with the longest night. Every day after it has more and more day. ^^ Take that as you will, but I really liked it. So would you believe that I'm Renesemee's twin has been changed to Winter Solstice. Enjoy!!

Warning: I do not own any character or book from the Twilight Saga. It's all property of Mrs. Meyer. I'm just ... borrowing for a bit.

* * *

2 ~ Aftertaste

"Can I help you?" The secretary asked as my mother walked toward her. I saw the woman's eyes grow larger then darken. As her eyes took in the unnatural beauty of my mother, I could almost visibly see her jealousy. She wouldn't be the first human to feel that way when confronted with my mother. Mom chose to ignore the now unhappy secretary and just smile kindly back.

"Yes, I am Bella Cullen and these are my foster siblings Renesemee and Amun Swan. We are here to pick up our schedules." The woman's eyes darted over to assess us quickly before turning back to the computer.

Her hands tapped quickly over the keys. "Swan, I have three Swans listed here," she looked pointedly back at my mother, "where is," she turned her head back to the screen and squinted, "Edward?"

"He was greeting friends in the parking lot. I'm sure he will be right in." Mom said with another flashing smile. The woman looked taken aback.

"Well," she seemed to gather herself, "it nice that you are already friendly with your fellow students."

I had to fight hard to the urge to burst out laughing. Yeah, they were sure acting friendly the last time I saw them. Nessie elbowed me in the side to make me stop snickering. With a click of the mouse the human sent our schedules to the printer.

"I take it that the Hales and Emmett are with their brother?" She asked as she gathered the sheets off the printer.

"Yes, ma'am." Mom said. The secretary's eyes shifted over mother's clothes. Her lips drew into a firm line. She let out an agitated breath of air.

"I hope they will not be too long. I have other matters to attend to." She said as she stuck her head into the air. "Now, the twins will both be in the Sophomore D block just as your father has requested." She held out the sheets for us to take. I nodded as I took mine. Nessie grabbed hers quickly and was scanning it with feverish excitement. The woman cleared her throat in disapproval and moved to hand the last schedule to Mom. "You will be in the Junior A block with this _Edward_." She said with clear distaste.

"Thank you." Mom said with a smile.

The woman gave us one last stern glance before saying, "I hope you have a good first day." _Yeah, right._ Who did she think she was kidding? Her body should have been green with all the jealousy emanating from it.

"Come on, Amun!" I heard my sister cry from the door. "I wanna go meet more h-people now." Mom threw her a sharp glace for her almost slip up. Nessie smiled sheepishly in return as she exited the room.

I followed silently after her and saw Dad, Jake, and Emmett coming up with smug looks on their faces. Jasper had a ghost of grin too. He must be feeling the other's emotions. Leah and Alice trialed behind.

"I hope you're happy with yourself." Mom said as she put her hands on her hips.

He flashed her a too large grin. I noticed several of the human males cringe away from him. "Extremely."

"Hey," Nessie said as she looked around confused. "D-I mean Edward, why do the guys seem to flinch when I look at them?" She turned her eyes to focus on him and his still cocky grin. "What did you do?"

"Nothing important."

"Edward," she said sternly, "how am I supposed to make friends if their scared of you attacking them?"

"You won't." Jake said with a firm nod. He was maybe just a little too happy about that prospect. Nessie's eyes narrowed. She looked pissed. It was never a good idea to make her unhappy.

"Hey, Nessie, let's go find our lockers."

She turned her eyes to me, and I almost sighed in relief at the excitement bubbling in them.

"Ok! Let's go!"

I waved goodbye to my family and followed Nessie down the hallway full of humans. Humans with hot, pulsing blood flowing in their veins. I shook my head to clear that thought away. It would definitely lead to trouble.

"204, 204." Renesemee was chanting as she looked at the lockers. "Where are you 204?"

I honestly didn't know how she had a mental age of seventeen. I looked back down to my sheet of paper searching for the numbers of my locker.

"207." I mumbled.

"Aw, your locker isn't beside mine." She looked over her shoulder at me. "And it's on the bottom!" I could tell she was very amused by that fact. So amused that she wasn't paying attention to the human male she was about to walk into.

"Ah, Nessie, watch-"

"Oops!" She said as she collided with the tall human. He staggered to the side a little.

"Nessie you should pay more attention to where you're going." I chided her. Man, I felt like my mother.

She didn't answer. I focused my senses a little more and heard her deep intake of breath followed by a sigh. _Not good!_ But then, by opening my senses more, now all those human heart beats were screaming in my head. I was getting dizzy too. _Must not eat humans. Must not eat humans_. I tried to focus on Nessie.

"Nessie, let go of him. Jake wouldn't like it." I tried to get through the bloodlust that was clouding her mind.

"Jake." She seemed confused. I focused on her alone. I was trying to block out the tantalizing voice in my mind telling me to let her be and drink the fragrant human female beside me. Her blood was so close to me. _No, Nessie. Nessie._

"Yeh, Jake and Dad wouldn't like what you're doing." I tried again.

That got her attention. Her suppressed anger at our dad's behavior cut through the haze induced by their scents. "Humph! Like I care what Dad thinks. He was being so mean today." She blinked as she looked back at me. "Uh, oh!" She turned back to the stunned human male. "I'm so sorry. Are you ok?"

He just continued to stare at her. I didn't need my dad's ability to know what was going through his head. "Are you ok?" She repeated. His lack of response sent a wave of annoyance through me.

I let out a low growl. The human couldn't hear it, but Nessie could. She looked back over her shoulder to throw me a 'knock it off look.' That was all it took for the human male to snap out of his state.

"Yeah, I'm good." He said.

Nessie turned back around to flash him a broad smile. "Great!" His mouth dropped open again. I narrowed my eyes. _One less human male wouldn't hurt. His blood would taste so satisfying. Do it. It's just one bite._I pushed that silky voice back into the subconscious part of my brain where it belonged. I would not give in and disappoint my mother and father. "Come on, Amun. Let's go find those lockers."

I left the still dazed human male behind me and continued after Nessie who was looking again for her locker. 204 and 207 were small metal boxes on the wall with locks on them. I looked back at my paper for the combination that would open the lock. Once opened, I looked inside the metal box, unimpressed by this locker. I looked up to see Nessie too had a frown.

"Is this it?" She asked with a pout.

"Doesn't look all that great, does it?"

She shook her head. "No." She closed the locker and twirled the lock back in place. "Let's go to our first class. I want to meet some more people! Maybe they haven't seen Edward yet."

"Sure."

I wasn't really interested in meeting any more humans. Because now that I had my bloodlust locked securely away, other senses were trying to take over. Namely, my camouflage. I felt my skin prickling. The curious eyes boring into my back where only increasing my unease. I didn't like it at all. I was different than my sister. I didn't want all this attention. I just wanted to disappear. My instincts were more than happy to supply me with that wish. I felt it pushing against the barriers that held it back.

I gritted my teeth. Damn this was hard. Nessie looked back at me with a huge smile on her face. She dropped it once she noticed my discomfort.

"Is it that hard?" She asked curiously.

"Try managing two instincts as powerful as the bloodlust." I gritted out.

She smirked. "I'm really glad I'm not you."

"Gee, that's so sweet, Nessie."

She grinned and pointed to the open door on our left. "That's it! That's our first class."

I looked down at my paper and noticed the course title: sociology. The study of human behavior. I snorted. Well, that was fitting. As Nessie bounded into the room, I took the time to examine those humans already in here. I was extremely glad that Amanda and her friend were not in my class. I wasn't sure if I could handle dealing with them right now. I looked toward the front of the room and the large desk situated there.

"Hello." I heard the middle aged male teacher say as Nessie looked toward him.

"Hi! I'm Nessie and this is my brother, Amun. We're new here!"

The teacher gave us a good once over. I was extremely pleased that he did not seem to be affected by our half-vampire charms. "Ah, twins. Well, I'm very glad to have you in my class. Take a seat where ever you wish. Class will begin shortly."

I glanced again around the room and my eyes spotted an empty chair in the far corner of the room on the last row. Perfect. I moved to it with relative ease and sat down letting out a sigh of relief. When I looked up though, I met the unhappy face of my sister.

"You are such a party pooper. Why are you sitting way back here?"

"Nessie, please. Just let me be. I really don't want to do something inhuman today. Don't push me." I looked at her.

"Fine. But, just know, I don't think you would do anything."

"Sure, sure." I said as she turned around and jumped back into the human fray. I contented myself with gazing out the window. I was thoroughly glad when I heard Nessie tell the humans that I wasn't much of a people person even if she had meant it as a criticism. It kept the humans far enough away that my bloodlust didn't get too strong.

"Wow, your really not helping your social status ya know." I heard the deep almost raspy voice of Jake.

"Don't you have people patrol? I thought you didn't want Nessie talking to the males?" I questioned still not looking at him.

He let out a chuckle. "Man, Nessie wasn't kidding. You really are in a bad mood. And, I don't want Nessie to be mad at me." I turned my passive face to look at him. He had sat himself backwards in the seat in front of mine.

"Do you have this class too?" I asked trying to change the subject away from me.

"Yup. I've got a few classes with you guys. The Rez school system was a little behind so; I have to catch up in the classes."

"Jake, you already graduated from high school."

He shot me a grin. "Yeah, fine. I just wanted to have a few classes with Nessie alright?"

I smirked. "She already has you whipped."

He glared at that. "Watch it." He growled.

I just shook my head and looked back out the window. Class started soon after, but as the students took their seats, I found myself paying more attention to their scents than his lecture. I would have to ask Nessie about what he said after class. I noticed most of the girls' scents were masked by a covering that I knew was called perfume. They wore it to attract the attention of males, but I couldn't understand why such a strong fragrance would attract anything. Well, I guess the males' senses weren't as perceptive of my own. The males' scents were muskier, earthen. The reminded me of the forest, but they were not near as appealing as the forest was to me.

The bell rang and class was dismissed. Nessie walked over to me with a sly look on her face.

"What?" I asked almost hesitantly.

"Have you looked on your schedule for what our next class is?" She asked.

I frowned. "No. What is it?"

"Sex education." She said as her face broke out into a massive grin.

I groaned. That was just great. I steeled myself to the horror of learning about sex in a class full of hormonal teenagers who just happened to be extremely attracted to both my sister and me. But, when I stepped in the door and saw two of my classmates, I abruptly turned around. I would definitely skip this class until the end of the year. I didn't care if they failed me. Except, someone grabbed the back of my shirt. I turned around and growled at my amused sister.

"Your not thinking about leaving are you?"

"Nessie, if you know what's good for you, you will let me go." I said in a low dangerous voice. What was Carlisle thinking when he put us in these classes? Was this some kind of joke?

Nessie grinned at the shriek that went through the room. My stomach disappeared. Damn it, they noticed me. "You can't disappoint your fans now can you?"

"I hate you."

"AMUN!!!!" I heard the human girl Amanda scream. I slowly turned to face her; my face formed an extremely forced smile.

"Hello, Amanda." I said to the female just inches from my face.

"I didn't know you were in this class. How is your first day of school?" _Like going through slow torture in hell. How about yours?_

"It's been good. Yours?" I said aloud.

She sighed and blushed. "Oh, you know. It's been good." She smiled at me. I tried to keep the smile on my face, but my nose was burning with that strong perfume she had on. I heard the other girl clear her throat loudly. Amanda flashed glared at her. I turned my attention to the other one.

"Hi! I'm Charlotte a friend of Amanda's. You're Amun, right?"

I nodded. A grin split her face.

"I hope that we can become great friends." She said as she held out her hand. I looked at it and slowly extended my own to shake hers. She let out a gasp as our hands connected. Hers seemed cold. How ironic.

"Your hand is so warm." She said as her heart rate accelerated. It pushed her scent faster in my direction. I tried not to breathe it in. She leaned closer and almost attached her body to my hand. _What the hell does she think she was doing?_

"Uh, could you let go?" I asked as coldly as possible.

She blinked up at me. I heard an extremely ferocious growl from behind me. Thankfully, it was too low for the humans to hear. Leah's earthen smell washed over my senses. With immense difficulty, I pried away the human girl who was still attached to my arm. I didn't want to hurt her, but damn she just wouldn't let go.

"Making friends?" Leah asked a little too lightly.

"Hi Leah, you have this class too, huh?" The girls quickly assessed Leah. They seemed to smirk like they didn't consider her a threat.

"Well, I guess we'll talk later, right Amun." Amanda said as she turned to walk away.

"Yeh, bye, Amun." Charlotte said as she touched my arm one last time. I had to physically try and contain the shiver of disgust.

"Wow, the girl's are way more forward than the guys were." Nessie said.

"Nessie, if one of them touches me again, I'm not sure I can contain myself." I still felt Charlotte's disgusting scent on me. It made my nose crinkle.

"You seemed like you were enjoying it to me." Leah voiced.

I turned to look at her in shock. Did she think I liked having human girls throwing themselves at me? Having to fight not to bite into their necks and my instincts at all at once?

"You can't be serious." I said in an appalled voice. "It's hard enough having to deal with my instincts and bloodlust when they aren't near me. Why on earth would I want them that close?"

I heard the bell ring again but hardly noticed it.

Leah looked at me searchingly. Then a smirk formed on her face. "You sure you're a guy?"

I glared at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Human men love attention from girls."

"I'm not human, Leah."

"Your half."

"Class could you take your seats. The final bell has rung."

I sighed and moved to sit as far away from my admirers as possible, but still close enough that Nessie would sit near me. Leah sat on my other side. Her smirk still in place.

"This will be an interesting class." She said.

"Haven't you had it before?" I asked her. She looked aback towards me with a wry smile on her face.

"No, the Rez wasn't that concerned about that."

"What do you mean?"

"If you did break the rules, you married the girl. The council was really strict about it too. Some of the fines were outrageous. No one really wanted to deal with them." She shrugged.

I turned my attention back to the teacher. Class passed quickly despite the fact that my oversensitive senses picked up the conversation between Amanda, Charlotte, and a few other females about how hot I happened to be. I also saw Leah's continual smirk and dark laughter. I shot her an annoyed glance several times. She was enjoying my discomfort, and it ticked me off.

The next classes passed in a much similar way. Either girls were throwing themselves at me or I was fighting my instincts and bloodlust. Finally, the bell rang for lunch period to start. As Nessie and I made our way to the cafeteria, we met up with the rest of the family.

"How has your day gone?" Mom asked Nessie and me.

"It's been great! The people are so friendly!" I saw my dad look over at Jake. They exchanged disgruntled looks. I smirked.

"How has your day been, Amun?" Alice asked.

I glared at her. She beamed a pixy smile back at me. "Did you know what classes Grandfather Carlisle signed us up for?"

Alice's continued smile said it all. She knew. Mom looked at me quizzically. Dad sighed, of course he knew.

"Sociology, Sex education," I heard Emmett's laugh fill the hallway. "Do I really need to continue?"

"Oh dear." Mom said with a sigh.

We got our 'lunch' and moved to sit at a table. I spent most of lunch trying to ignore the gossiping females who continued to talk about me and the sly looks on the rest of my family's faces. When it was finally over, I moved with Nessie to the sixth class of the day.

"What's a study hall?" She asked me.

"I have no idea." I said as I too looked at the sheet of paper that contained the list of my classes.

We walked into the class and as usual all talking stopped for a few seconds as we approached the teacher's desk.

"Hi! I'm Nessie and this is my brother, Amun." She said to the wispy like teacher in front of us. She looked almost as if a gust of wind would knock her right over.

"Yes, welcome. This is a study hall. Please use this time to complete your work for other classes." My already low mood took a nose dive. There wasn't even a teacher to interrupt the students. I would have to deal with their questions for a whole hour.

Nessie's eyes brightened considerably. "Wow! Thanks!"

We sat down and not much later we were swarmed by humans who didn't understand the pressure their presence placed on our senses. I gritted my teeth and looked at the book in my hand. It was the sex education book. Great, I couldn't even read this book instead of talking with my fellow classmates. Nessie beamed at them and launched into her questions. I just glared at the table.

"Not a people person?" A male voice said.

I looked up to see a very nicely dressed male standing beside my desk.

"No."

He made a musing sound. "Don't like all the female attention?"

I looked pointedly at him. "No." He smiled but it set me on edge.

"Well, maybe you would like a guy's company instead?"

I frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

Laughter from some of the girls made me turn to them. I noticed Charlotte was one of them.

"Vincent, take a chill pill, his not gay."

This Vincent person gave me a good once over that made my instincts go mad. "Shame, he's got a great body."

"Uh," How was I supposed to answer that question? "Thanks?"

He flashed me sparkling white smile. "Anytime." With a wave, he was gone.

I sat there a few minutes trying to understand what had just happened. I figured that gay must have meant that the male found me attractive. I sighed. I didn't want any human attention at all – male or female. With that thought in mind, I looked up and noticed one of the female humans wasn't crowding around me. I started at her for a moment. She looked like she was reading intently. Well, it was nice to know that all human females didn't go crazy when they saw a half vampire. The bell rang signal the hour's end.

"Last class! Last class!" Nessie said as she dragged me out the door.

We arrived at the classroom for the last class and went up to the teacher. He was a stern looking man with small beady eyes. I looked at the course title: Earth science. My eyes widened. At least Carlisle gave me something good. I knew I would enjoy this class.

"Hi! I'm-"

"Yes, yes. I know who you are. Please remain here so that I can introduce you both to the class." He said sharply. Well, the teacher definitely would not improve the class that was for sure.

As we waited I noticed several people who had been in our previous classes. I looked toward the door just in time to see the lone girl from study hall enter with her nose still in what I now saw was a magazine.

She walked past me and her waterfall scent washed over my senses. After the abuse my nose had put up with today, it was like submerging in a cool lake. Cleansing. Pure. I opened my mouth to taste it on my tongue. The scent rolled over my taste buds and down my throat. The voice in my head was getting louder. But something was off about her smell. It was too sweet. My nose crinkled. It was a _very familiar_ sweet. One I smelt ever day.

My eyes widened. Her pulse beat as she past. I smelt her blood. She was human so why did she smell like a vampire?! I felt my control slipping quickly now. The gates that held my abilities in check were cracking. I was in the unknown with a human who had vampire on her. This was defiantly dangerous. I was loosing focus. Instincts were taking over. I had to get away.

Pain shot through my foot and brought me back to reality. I glared at my sister. She had focused her wide eyes on me.

"What happened?" She asked almost fearfully.

"What do you mean?" I was searching the room for that girl. I found her still reading that magazine in the corner of the room. She was alone. I took the time to get her planted in my mind for later. She was medium height. She had short straight blood hair that brushed against her shoulders in a layered look. I thought I caught green eyes, but they might have been blue. Her clothes were generic. Nothing special of note. Except the noticeable ring on her right hand. It look old. All of this took only a few seconds.

"You were flashing in and out." She whispered too low for the humans to hear. Her face looked excited (like normal) but I caught her mask for what it was. "What made you loose control?"

I turned to look straight at the girl. "Vampire."

I saw Nessie's eyes visibly widen. "What?"

"That girl, blond hair, in the corner, head in the book? She has the smell of a vampire on her. It was so faint I almost didn't catch it. But it was there. It was too sweet. No human or perfume smells like that."

"You must have gotten it wrong. How could she have seen a vampire and lived? It would have to be one of us to get that close to her and not drain her."

"I know what I smelt Nessie."

"Your senses aren't as developed. We're only eight."

I growled. "I know what I smelt. Don't take this lightly."

"I, I don't know what you want me to do."

"Focus your thought to Dad. Let him know what I smelled. They will know better than me what to do." She nodded as I cursed the fact that my father couldn't read my mind. He wouldn't be able to experience that moment and confirm what I knew I smelt. They would have to trust my half-vampire eight year old sense. I didn't know if they would.

That was the longest hour of my life. I deliberately sat close to the human girl to try and smell it again. In fact, I sat right beside her. Strangely, I never felt that sweet aftertaste again. Just the clear waterfall scent that drove my bloodlust insanely high. Damn it! Why didn't I smell it now? I glanced over at her once or twice. She was always reading that magazine.

Class ended with the bell. I hardly even noticed the excited faces on the humans. I was focusing on the girl in my peripheral vision. She shifted to get her things and walked out the door. I followed right behind her and inhaled long and deep. Nothing. It was driving me insane. What happened?

I glanced in front of her and noticed the entire vampire family waiting. I nodded and their eyes focused on the reading girl. Dad looked at me a question in his eyes. I knew what that question was. I didn't know the answer. I came up to them.

"You didn't smell it." It wasn't a question. I knew they couldn't either.

"What did you smell?" Dad asked.

"I smelt her blood. It was amazing after the day I had gone through. I opened my mouth to take it in better, as it slid down my throat I noticed the sweet aftertaste. I would know the smell of it anywhere. My instincts almost took over."

Nessie nodded. "I thought he was going to loose it."

"You sure you didn't imagine it? I didn't notice anything in her thoughts about us or vampires."

"No, his instincts would have only reacted if it had been real." Jasper said as he continued to look down the hall where the human had gone. "We need to talk to Carlisle. Something is off."

"Hey!" Jake said as he came up. Leah and Seth were trailing behind him. He sombered at the looks on our faces. "What happened?"

"Jake, I think we had better help you with the scouting tonight. There might be others here that we don't know about." Alice said.

"What do you mean?" Seth asked.

"A human had traces of vampire scent on her." I said.

Leah locked eyes with me. I stared back. "Did you loose control?"

"No, Nessie crushed my foot in time."

Emmett let out a booming laugh at that despite the tense atmosphere. "Always one for subitly weren't you?"

Nessie grinned.

The drive back to the house was silent. We were each too deep in our own thoughts to speak aloud. Grandfather Carlisle was home. Edward had called him. It didn't take long for Grandfather Carlisle and Grandmother Esme to be informed of what I had smelt.

"You never smelt it again?" He questioned.

"No. It was like I smelt it, then it was gone. Nothing. I kept inhaling the whole hour hoping to catch it again, but it was like it disappeared."

"None of us could smell it either." Dad said.

"Nessie, did you?" Grandfather asked.

She hung her head. "No, at the time I was observing the humans. I looked back to Amun and saw him flash. I knew something was wrong, but I was too concerned about maintaining cover than figuring out scents."

"I should have had more control." I said dejectedly.

"No, you instincts are there for a purpose. Who knows what that girl has been doing. And we are certain that she is human."

Nods from around the table.

"Edward, anything in her thoughts?"

He shook his head. "No, she was focused on a literature magazine."

Grandfather Carlisle sighed. "Alice?"

"I haven't seen anyone come into the area."

"The might have been here before us." Jasper said.

Grandfather sighed and nodded. "For now, let us scout the woods. It is possible it was nothing, but I don't want to leave it to chance. Spread out and comb the fifty mile radius. That should be enough to tell if there are others hiding. We nodded and left the room.

Nessie and I went with other members of the family because we were only halfs. I went with Alice and Nessie went with Dad. Jake choose a path close to Nessie just in case. We combed through acres of land without success. Alice had her mind elsewhere I could tell she was searching for anything important. But we found nothing. The sun had descended for the day and night was truly upon us when I heard Alice's gasp. I pivoted around to her.

"Alice what do you see?" I said as I rushed toward her.

"No. Jacob. Bite." My instincts were going haywire. What did that mean? My face paled. It couldn't mean. No.

"Alice. What happens to Jake?"

Her glassy eyes started blankly at me. "He's bitten by the vampire."

_DAMN IT!_

"Where is he? Alice, where is Jake now?" I was holding back my panic. My heart was beating faster than normal. I had to get to Jake now!

"North. Go north."

I was gone in a flash. I let any inhibitions go. I was now completely cloaked. Nothing could see me; nothing would stop me. My sense's picked up every movement. Birds landing in trees. Leaves falling to the ground. Night creatures. I raced north praying Alice's vision gave me enough time. I was close now. I breathed in the traces of his scent. I traced it, getting closer with each second. I was almost there.

"NOOOO!!!!" I heard my sister's scream. What would that mean? Had she found him? Or had Dad told her what had happened? Either way, I was loosing time. He had been bitten. I couldn't stop that fate. But if I got there in time, I might be able to suck it out. I pushed myself harder. I had no venom in me. I could do it if it didn't get to his heart.

I skidded to a halt as I took in the scene in front of me. Jake's naked form was spread on the ground. His labored breathing was far to erratic. I saw golden hair covering his back. My sister's face was glued to his right shoulder blade. She was sucking so hard I could hear it easily. I smelt the tears that flowed from her eyes. I smelt Jake's blood. I caught the hint of the vampire's venom. No vampire, no trace of his scent. Dad was standing by a tree watching. I knew he was searching for thoughts that might lead to the vampire. He would sniff occationally trying to get a scent, but he could do nothing for Jake. It was all up to Nessie. She continued to suck at the wound. How much was she going to take?

She gasped as her head disconnected with his shoulder. Her face arched to the sky. I saw blood on her lips. Dark blood. She was panting. Her eyes had a deep red tint in the corners. She was crying; silent tears flowed from her eyes. He was still breathing. His heart was still beating but it was far too slow. Nessie laid her head back on his upper body. I felt wrong to be watching this. I shouldn't be here.

"Don't leave me, Jake. Please don't leave me. I got it all. Don't die." She whispered to his neck.

Jake's ragged breathing was his only reply. He was unconcious. It was then that I realized that I was still cloaked. I repressed it and turned to my father just as the other wolves bounded in. I took off my shirt and threw it to the wolf I knew was Leah. Seth had jeans tied to his back leg. They shifted quickly.

"He's alive?" Leah said softly. She was staring at Jake's face. The horror at seeing her Alpha so hurt was only suppressed by the rage I saw in her eyes.

"Yes, but I don't know how his condition is. Carlisle will be here soon. He had to go get his supplies from the house." Dad explained.

"Jake?" Seth said in a broken voice.

It was then that the others arrived. I assumed that Alice had gone to get them. Grandfather Carlisle must have met up with them on the way. We stood silent as Mom pulled Nessie off Jake. I moved to stand beside Nessie. She launched herself into my arms and her tears stained my chest. I slowly rubbed her back. I hated seeing her like this. It seemed so wrong. Nessie was supposed to be happy. Grandfather examined Jake's body. He let out a sigh after taking a few measurements.

"I don't think it reached the heart. Nessie, you did a good job." He said to my sister. She merely nodded stiffly as she turned her head to look back at her wolf.

"Carlisle," Leah's voice was like ice. "he attacked from behind. We never saw who did it." Of course she would have sensed the attack through their wolf connection.

"I don't like this, Carlisle." Alice said. "I didn't see it until the vampire's choice until he was right on Jake."

"I don't either." He said.

"Why didn't Jake sense him?" Seth mumbled.

"I'm sure we will know more when he wakes up. Tomorrow, I want you to go the school and withdrawal. I will not have us stay here if there is some unknown threat to us." Grandfather said as he looked down at Jake. His word was final. It was law. No one questioned it. No one wanted too.

I stared at Jake and his faintly beating heart. It made my instincts tingle in think that some vampire had been able to sneak up on Jake. I honestly hadn't believed that anything could. Well except for me. I knew I hadn't done it. I sure as hell didn't want to meet who had done it anytime soon.

I looked up into Leah's furious face. For a second, I saw her in Jake's place. What if it had been her? My expression changed. I felt an instinctual growl threaten to rip from my throat. I didn't fully understand the connection I had with her, but I knew one thing. If anything tried to hurt her, I would kill it.

* * *

Ok! See that chapter had much more plot to it. *evil chuckle* Well, I hope that you hooked. The next chapter will be actiony too. I'm not going to draw it out to much, so each chapter will have a purpose, but I won't rush the plot too much. So here's a preview:

3 ~ Connections

There was no way to describe the atmosphere of the room. I knew that they had to know what had happened. Even if Alice hadn't been able to see the change, I had seen my father make the phone call as we left the school. As my father and I moved to join the vampires, the wolves quickly moved to stand beside Seth who's head was hung low as if in shame. I couldn't blame him, well I could, he shouldn't have been there. Leah could have gone instead. But I wouldn't. I didn't understand why it had happened, but I knew Seth had no control over it. Just as the others had no choice.

"Carlisle, don't make us leave." Jake said as he stood in front of Seth and Leah.

I took in the broken look on Leah's face. I didn't realize the depth of her pain, but I knew it would tear her to be forced to leave me. The imprint would hurt her. It would hurt Jake too. But, after the change that had happened today. I wasn't sure what choice she would make.

Carlisle looked to the rest of the family. I saw the resolved looks on their faces even if the hated the choice they were now forced to make. "We will stay with you." Carlisle said his eyes filled with sympathy.

"I'm sorry." Seth mumbled as he continud to stare at the floor. It was because of him we were more vunerable than ever before. I lost control of my instincts and dissapeared. I needed some space. I couldn't stay in this room any longer. I noticed Leah's eyes follow me as I fled the room, but I didn't care.


	4. 3: Connections

AN: Ok. I had a friend who was confused about why Bella was the Cullen and Edward was a Swan, so here is my explanation. Edward is really old fashioned when it comes certianthings, like marriage. So now that he finally has Bella as his wife, he wants her to have his last name. He waited long enough. I think it fits Edward's personality. The kids are Swans because they look more like Edward than Bella. So there you go. If you have anymore questions. Let me know. I will always be glad to answer - as long as it isn't plot important.

You know i can't remember what i call this but - I don't own any characters or books from the Twilight Saga. That right belongs to Mrs. Meyer.

* * *

3 ~ Connections

Nessie never left Jake's side that night. Even as sleep overtook her, she never released his hand from her grasp. I vaguely wondered how she felt about him. Was he still just like a big brother to her? Or had this triggered a change in her? My father said that when a vampire meets his true mate, that his body changes. Something inside of them shifts. He said it was like a key fitting and opening a lock. It was perfect, and it was irreversible. Had she begun to open that lock? Did we possess such a thing as half-vampires? Would that ever happen to me? It made my instincts tense to think like that so I shook my head and headed for bed.

I wasn't human, but I wasn't a vampire either. I needed sleep, and after the hell of a day I had just gone through, I was exhausted beyond reason. How could vampires not get tired? I honestly couldn't imagine how it would feel to never tire. To always have energy. It must be amazing. I yawned as I headed for bed, but stopped when I saw Leah at the door to my room.

"Leah?" I questioned. "What's up?"

She turned to look at me and her eyes quickly darted away. "I," her fist clinched into a tight fist. What was wrong with her?

"You ok?" I asked slightly concerned as I moved in front of her. She met my eyes that time. But for a second I didn't recognize them. I saw no hint of sarcasm, not an ounce of dark humor. She looked slightly vulnerable under my gaze. Some small part of me, a piece I didn't even know existed seemed to twist just a little at that look on her face. But, I didn't even realize it had happened. I was just worried about what would make her look like that.

She bit her lip and suddenly I found myself not able to look away from them. I had looked at her lips many times before, but I had never really seen them. I was seeing them now. Her pink bottom lip was slightly larger than the top. It looked silky smooth despite her woven heritage. My fingers twitched to caress them and see if they were really as smooth as they looked.

"Fine. I'm fine." She said quickly. I blinked and looked back into her eyes. They were back to normal, yet somehow I liked them much better the way they had looked before. What was wrong with me? I must be seriously lacking in sleep.

"Ok, then. Night." I said with a wave as I moved into my room.

"Night. Sleep well." She said softly as I closed the door to my room.

I heard her erratic heart beat still outside of my room. Why was she still here? On second thought, she never answered my question. I still didn't know what she had wanted. I sighed as her feet padded away from my door. I guess was something I would never find out.

I looked toward my messy bed and quickly changed into my sleep boxers. I was never cold because of my unnaturally high body heat so I just threw a thin cover over me as I closed my eyes to sleep. It didn't come. I growled in frustration under my breath. Sleep had always come easily to me before. In fact, I didn't realize it could be difficult to find. Though it really wasn't what human's considered sleep. They dreamed. I didn't. I asked Nessie about it once, and she said she didn't dream either. The wolves did. When I asked Leah what she dreamed about, she just punched me in the face. I hadn't asked any of them since then. My sleep was more like a state of intense rest. More like when a human is unconscious. I slept very deep and fast. I didn't need much, I just needed to rest my body.

Before I knew it, my eyes were opening to the sounds of the early morning birds. I must have finally fallen asleep. I sat in bed for a moment before deciding that I needed to get up. I smelled the usual eggs and bacon coming from somewhere in the house, so I knew one of the wolves was up. It was possible that Jake was too.

After a quick change of clothes, I went down to the living room where Jake had been resting on the couch. I saw him sitting up and rapidly inhaling the plate of food in front of him. I chuckled. Well, at least he was feeling better.

"Jake, do you really think you should eat that fast after your injuries? I don't think it's very healthy." I was surprised to hear my sister's voice instead of my mother's. Some things had changed it seemed.

"Aw, Nessie, don't start acting like Bella on me." Jake complained between mouthfuls. "I'm fine. You said so yourself yesterday. You told me you got all the venom out. So, I'm fine."

"Grandfather Carlisle said it's going to take a couple of days for your internal damages to heal. You don't need to strain yourself." She said.

I heard him sigh and slow down a little. "That better?"

"Yes."

I figured I could interrupt now. They knew I was here anyway. "Morning. Glad to see you up, Jake."

He grinned. "No damn bloodsucker can keep me down for long."

"Sure, sure." I said. "Where are the others?" I asked as I looked around for the rest of my family and the wolves.

"Kitchen. We were just waiting for you to wake up. You ok? You slept for a really long time." Nessie said.

I sighed. "Yeah, I think. I had a hard time getting to sleep yesterday."

"Huh?" Nessie said. I understood her confusion. We never had problems getting to sleep. If we needed it, we closed our eyes and let it take over. It had never been difficult for me before.

"I couldn't get my mind to stop working. It was... strange." I said to her.

Jake just shook his head. "Must be weird being a half-breed."

Nessie shot him a glare and punched his arm.

"Ow!" He said as he rubbed the spot exaggeratedly. It hadn't even hurt him. "Nessie, I'm injured. You're not supposed to do that to an injured person." He said with whine.

I laughed at him. Nessie glared. "Make up your mind, Jake. Your either hurt or not. You can't have it both ways."

"Yes, ma'am." He intoned with a sly smile.

It was then that the rest of the family joined us in the living room. I sat down on the floor while the others made themselves comfortable. This would be an important meeting. Leah came and sat down beside me.

"You didn't sleep well?" She asked quietly to give us some privacy.

I shook my head. "No, I did. It just didn't come easily."

"Was there something wrong?"

I shook my head again. "No, my thoughts just wouldn't settle. I think."

"Good, I didn't want to have to go easy on you today." She said with a leer.

"You think you can beat me?"

"I have before."

"Not lately."

"That's because you cheat."

"Do not. It's part of who I am."

"I don't go wolf on you." She said as she pushed her index finger into my chest.

"Sure, sure." I said as I turned my attention back to the group. Leah snickered knowing she had a point. There was no way that I was stronger than her wolf form. Although, if we both used are abilities, it might be a close match. I let that train of thought go. There were more important things to attend to.

"So what happened, Jacob?" Grandfather Carlisle asked.

He scratched the back of his head. "Well, I was searching like the rest of you until I thought I smelt that sickly sweet smell you guys have. Sorry." He grinned sheepishly, but continued. "But I didn't recognize it as one of yours. I tried to sniff it out again, but it was like it was flashing in and out or something. One second I could smell something, like a whiff, then next nothing. It reminded me of how Amun explained that scent on the human girl. But, it seemed like maybe there was more of it. That was why I kept smelling it over and over. It was definitely a place he had been many times before. But, I didn't smell anything recent. It all seemed old. I didn't even hear him sneak up on me.

"One second I was smelling around the tree; and the next, I felt the venom spreading through my shoulder. I think that was when I lost consciousness. I must have phased out. I guess he left me there thinking I would die." He ended with a shrug.

"So it was the same type of flighty scent as the one Amun explained?" Grandmother Esme asked concerned.

Jake nodded. "Yeah, it was insane. I knew it was there I just couldn't smell it."

I saw my dad's eyes flicker to me. "And you didn't notice their approach at all?"

Jake shook his head. "Nothing, no steps, no breathing, no scent. It was like he wasn't there."

Now there were several glances in my direction. I didn't like the sound of that at all. This ability sounded awfully close to my own. Though my scent was always masked. No one had ever smelt it. It was something I had never learned to control much like my mind. This person's ability seemed to allow them the stealth that mine also allowed. This just kept getting worse and worse.

"That means it is likely that the girl from school had contact with this vampire at some point." Jasper concluded. "It might be possible that she works for them. The Volutri keep humans as employees just for fun."

Carlisle shook his head. "If it was a kind of economic structure, we would have known about the company."

"She could be a personal servant like a maid." Rosalie said.

"It is possible, but truly it matters not. I want Edward and one of the wolves to go and withdrawal from the school this morning." Jake opened his mouth, "No, Jake I want you to stay here. The vampire already knows you. And I would like to monitor your injuries some more."

"Alright." He said with a huff.

Seth moved forward. "I'll go. Leah's an awful driver."

Leah growled at him while he smirked.

"I would like to go too, Grandfather." I said. I was hopping that I might be able to figure out that girl even if we were leaving. It bothered me that an enemy might have similar abilities to me. He looked both of us over carefully and then nodded.

"Yes. You might be able to sense the vampire's scent easier since you have already been exposed. Alright. Be back soon." He said as he dismissed the group. Some of the others were going on a quick hunting trip before the travel. I would have liked to have gone with them, but there would be time when I got back. It wasn't like we were in a severe hurry.

"You ready, Amun?" Dad asked from the door. The keys to the Volvo were in his hands.

"Yup. Coming. Let's go, Seth. I want to see your driving skills." I teased the youngest wolf.

"Ha! You can't even drive." He taunted back.

"Soon. I will soon." I said as we headed out the door.

The trip to the school was extremely quick. I had thought that Emmett was a quick driver. He had nothing on my father. Dad seemed anxious. It was only noticeable by the fact that the steering wheel was slowly compressing under the pressure of my father's clinched knuckles. I understood a little of his worry. If this rogue was anything similar to me, he could block his mind. My father's abilities would be useless. I knew Dad disliked the fact that he couldn't read my mother's mind or my own, but we were not threats. I didn't like this either. I was more than ready to leave.

I closed the car door and stepped out into the overcast morning. There were more humans here than I had expected. I must have really slowed us down this morning. I cursed myself. I hoped that whatever strange event had kept me awake last night never happened again. I didn't like being a burden.

"So," Seth said as he walked around to the car. "Where's the human who started this whole problem?" He asked curiously.

I skimmed the parking lot, but my father was faster. No doubt he had already searched ahead for her mind. "She's inside the main office. It seems she doesn't see the point of one of her classes. Perhaps we should wait until she leaves to go in." Dad said.

Seth frowned but nodded. I was fine with that. There was no need to invite unnecessary attention.

"So what class does she have a problem with?" I asked curiously.

My father's lips quirked up into a small smile. It surprised me that he would find a potential enemy's mind funny. " Literature."

"Why is that?" Seth asked confused.

"She doesn't understand why she must read the stories written by people who are long since dead. She also suggested that they include a few of the books she feels would be more appropriate. She even made a list."

"Uh, she seems a little strange."

"The magazine she was reading yesterday was all about how to properly trim a Christmas tree." Dad said.

Seth's eyebrows furrowed. "It's September."

My lips curved into a smile. I let out a chuckle. She had forced on that story for at least two hours yesterday. "Well I guess there is no harm in starting early."

"She's very fond of holidays." Dad explained as the girl in question opened the office door. I saw her hair shake out of her eyes as she squinted towards the parking lot. She looked unhappy.

"Let me guess, they didn't appreciate her suggestions about the literature class?"

Dad shook his head. "No. She is very disappointed."

I turned to Seth to see him standing unnaturally still beside me. His eyes were completely focused on the human girl. What was he doing?

"Dad-"

He was in front of Seth way too fast, but thankfully no one had noticed it. His intense eyes were boring into Seth's eyes. I could tell Dad was physically restraining him. The grip on Seth's shoulders was far too strong. What on earth was going on?

"Seth," Dad said in a warning tone. "You are going to get back in the car and come back to the house. You are not to go to her at all."

I heard Seth's animistic whine. "She's upset. I need to help her."

"No, Seth."

I saw Seth's eyes darken. A growl ripped through his throat. "Are you keeping me from her?" He growled low, deep, and unfriendly. Who was this wolf? I knew as did Seth that he couldn't overpower my father without help so what was he doing? Why would he want to comfort that human girl? What the hell was going on? The only explanation was far too ridiculous to be true. There was no way out of all the humans that he had imprinted on her. Come on! No one was that unlucky. It couldn't have happened.

"Dad, he didn't."

"He did. Seth imprinted on the human."

"What the hell does that mean? He can't imprint on her. She has connections with the-"

"I am fully aware of the situation." He cut me off. His voice like sharp steel. "You wanted to drive. Now's your chance." His arm snaked into Seth's pocket and grabbed the keys and tossed them to me. "Follow right after me. We have to go home now."

He forced Seth into the car as I got into the driver seat of the wolves SUV. I had to keep the petal against the floor of the vehicle to keep up with my father's fast driving. I was thankful for my enhanced senses otherwise I would most likely be dead. I tried to keep my mind as blank as possible, but it wasn't working. My instincts were screaming at me. _DANGER!!!_ I gritted my teeth and tried to focus on not giving in. It would definitely not help the situation if the humans saw a speeding car with no one driving it.

We arrived back home, and Dad forced Seth into the house. Now that he was away from the human, he looked much more like himself. I did see the guilt on his face though. He understood what he had done to the family. By imprinting on that girl, he was not only forcing us to stay in a threatening situation of which we had little knowledge, but also placed us in contact with a possible conspirator with the very vampire who had hurt his alpha male.

There was no way to describe the atmosphere of the room. I knew that they had to know what had happened. Even if Alice hadn't been able to see the change, I had seen my Father make the phone call as we left the school. As my father and I moved to join the vampires, the wolves quickly moved to stand beside Seth whose head was hung low in obvious shame. I couldn't blame him; well I could, he shouldn't have been there. Leah could have gone instead even if I didn't want her to be anywhere near that type of danger. But I wouldn't. I didn't understand why it had happened, but I knew Seth had no control over it. Just as the others had no choice.

"Carlisle, don't make us leave." Jake said as he stood in front of Seth and Leah.

I took in the broken look on Leah's face. I didn't realize the depth of her pain, but I knew it would tear her to be forced to leave me. The imprint would hurt her. It would hurt Jake too. But, after the change that had happened today. I wasn't sure what choice she would make. What choice the wolves would make at all. It all rode upon our decision of whether to leave or stay.

Carlisle looked to the rest of the family. I saw the resolved looks on their faces even if the hated the choice they were now forced to make. Rosalie looked extremely unhappy. Her arms folded tightly under her chest. "We will stay with you." Carlisle said his eyes filled with sympathy.

"I'm sorry." Seth mumbled as he continued to stare at the floor. It was because of him we were more vulnerable than ever before. Vulnerable. Exposed. I lost control of my instincts and disappeared. I needed some space. I couldn't stay in this room any longer. I noticed Leah's eyes follow me as I fled the room, but I didn't care. I had to get away from them all.

The forest was the same as usual. I wandered not too far from the house because even if I was cloaked, I knew that Leah wouldn't be. And eventually she would come to find me. Just like every other time I had lost control. I counted on it now. Her presence was something I had come to need.

Right now though, I was alone in the woods. The woods that I loved so much despite the fact they were no longer the safe haven I had always thought them to be. There were predators out there who wanted us dead. I had no doubts about the feelings of vampires towards my family. We were not liked because of our choice not to feed on humans. We were not liked because we were strong. We could be a threat to those who opposed us. The Volutri knew that.

I felt the soft rain begin to fall, and as it did the scent of the forest changed. It reminded me of the human girl who Seth was now bound to. I sighed this would definitely not have a good ending. I knew that much. I sat musing for a little while longer before I heard Leah's approach.

"I like the new tree. Did you pick it so I would have more room?" She said with a sly smile as she moved to sit Indian style on the thicker branch. I glared at her despite the fact she couldn't see it. Though by the still amused look on her face, she had guessed it was there.

"No." Maybe I had, but I wasn't going to tell her that.

"Aw, Amun, you're so sweet!"

"Have you turned into my sister?"

She grinned. "Loosing touch with your sarcasm censers aren't you?"

"Yeah, well, it's hard to focus sometimes." I said as I looked away from her face. The rain water was slowly sliding down it. Her hair was soaked and clung to her face and neck. My eyes kept wandering to places that I didn't think they should go. I realized for the first time ever that I found Leah attractive. She was distracting to look at.

She frowned. "Are you still upset about Seth?"

I sat confused for a second before I realized she hadn't realized that she was the one distracting me. I shook my head. "Not really. I mean it wasn't his fault right?"

She nodded. "We have no choice when it comes to the imprint."

A sudden thought made me frown. She was forced to be bound to me. Did that mean she didn't want to? "So, it was against you will."

She nodded as a sly secret smile formed on her face. "Yeah, you know I was horrified when I realized I was being bound to you." She said as she pointed her finger in my direction. What was that supposed to mean? Did she hate the connection between us. I felt strangely disappointed at what she had said.

"I see." I said in the most neutral tone I could manage.

She tilted her head to the side like she was trying to understand something. "What?"

"Do you still hate that you're bound to me?" I said. Damn it! I cursed my mother's side of the family. They were so honest.

The horrified look on her face would have been priceless at any other time in my life. "NO!" She said with wide eyes as she tried to find some part of my body with her hand. "Amun, let me see you." I suppressed the cloak and her hand found my knee. I was very comforted by the slight pressure there. Her eyes looked pleadingly into mine. "No, Amun, EJ, no. If you truly understood the imprint you would never had thought that." She said.

I frowned. I still didn't understand. "Then explain it to me."

"I'm not sure you want to know all of it." She said as her eyes darted toward the ground. It irritated me. I wanted her to look me in the eyes instead of being so passive. I grabbed her chin and forced her to look at me. I glared at her. She glared back.

"Well?"

She searched my face for a second more, then nodded. "If you want me to, I will explain it to you."

I let go of her face and sat back against my tree. Her warm hand was still on my leg. It felt very natural for her hand to be there. I made no move to get rid of it and neither did she.

"I guess I should first explain why we imprint." She said as I nodded. "The imprint is meant to insure that we can pass on our woven genes to the next generation. It's a type of survive instinct for the wolf clan." She explained. Her eyes bored into mine. "I was in love with the first wolf and Alpha of our pack."

"Jake?" His name was a growl in my throat. She merely shook her head.

"No, his name was Sam. It was before I had become a wolf. He imprinted on another girl and left me just like that. Because I wasn't a wolf, I had no idea why. Regardless, I still loved him." I felt my instincts pushing at the back of my mind. I was uneasy about this conversation.

"Once I did become a wolf, I had much of the same worries as Rosalie as had to live with. I thought I would never have children. I thought something was irreversibly wrong with my body now that I was a wolf.

"I was angry all the time." She looked up when I snorted.

"Sorry, but aren't you like that now?"

She growled and punched my arm. "Here I thought you were a serious person."

I grinned. "My bad."

"My point is." She said as she fixed her eyes again on my face, "I was miserable. I hated everything. But the moment I imprinted with you," I recognized the change in her eyes this time. They looked much like that had last night. I liked the change. "all that pain went away. It didn't matter anymore."

I frowned. She sighed. "Don't you see?" She said frustrated. Her hand moved to touch my face. Her warm hand was distracting me completely from her so called point but I tried to focus on her. "You're the only thing I care about anymore. Nothing else is important to me. You gave me freedom. I could never hate you."

I struck me that she was pleading with me. That she wasn't kidding me at all. The intensity of her eyes was almost frightening. I had no idea she had felt that way towards me. I wasn't sure what to think about it. But, I did feel immensely happier knowing she didn't hate that she was stuck with me. Her hand was still on my face. She was still looking into my eyes.

"I understand." I said even though I realized I probably didn't truly understand what she felt towards me.

She smirked. "Good, cause I wanna kick you ass. I'm not going easy on you today." She said as she launched at me. I was momentarily stunned by her sudden change but was soon more than ready to fight her. After all, she had just destroyed another of my trees. I growled as I was the one to hit the forest floor.

I glared up at her smirking form. "Cheater." I said repeating her words from the other day.

"Oh? You think that was cheating." I suddenly felt the convulses running through her arms. I grinned in anticipation. She was going to change.

"Bring it on, Leah." I said as I disappeared from her sight.

The wolf jumped off my invisible form and snarled in my direction. I used my vampire speed to get behind her, but she was just as fast as she bounded into me. I tucked and rolled to soften the bow she had given me. As I straightened up, I saw her coming at me again. I leapt up into the branches of a tree to avoid her attack. Her eyes looked up at me. They were fierce and deadly. They made me grin in satisfaction. She wasn't going to go easy on me today.

"First blood?" I asked from my tree.

The animistic grin on her face was enough of a conformation. Her hind legs tensed as she propelled herself towards the tree limp I was on. Her sharp claws ready to swing at me. I darted to the left just in time. Her speed was incredible. It was truly on par with my father's. The second I touched the ground, I was on the defensive jumping back from the quick paws that wanted to taste my blood.

Her eyes never left my body as I weaved in and out of the trees. I had to get some advantage on her or she would just wear me out. I knew she had more stamina than I had. I dogged to the right to avoid another claw sweep but she turned her body and suddenly the wind was knocked out of me by her back paws. No blood, but the force of the impact left me slightly dazed as I flew into a tree. I slid to the ground before I could get my bearings. I blinked and saw her form almost on me again.

I rolled to the side as she collided with the tree. What was it with her and killing trees? I coughed and got to my feet. Damn she was good. She stood waiting for me. Her steps were slow and measured as she approached. I darted to the nearby clearing hoping that it would provide better space for me to move in, but I forgot her speed. Her head barreled into my back and I landed on my stomach in the clearing. I rolled over and her face was right in front of me. I stiffened as I realized she had me pinned.

One claw slowly made its way to my face and she cut a line from my check to my jaw. Her eyes were dancing with mirth. I growled at her. She growled back. Hers reverberated through her chest and got underneath my skin. I grinned. She cocked her head to the side.

"You don't have any clothes." I laughed at the look on her face. In her haste to attack me, she had forgotten to strip her clothes. Now she had nothing to wear. She growled and her paw rested on my chest.

She wanted me to give her my shirt. I thought about it for a second then realized I had no bargaining chip. I nodded and she got off. I shrugged out of my shirt and tossed it over to the side of the clearing. She bounded off and phased back. My shirt was long and covered her completely, though it left and awful lot of exposed leg. I had to force myself not to stare at her toned, tanned legs. She smirked as she came over to me.

"What?"

"I drew first blood. I win."

I sighed. "Fine. But one battle doesn't win a war. And I'm still ahead over all." I said.

"Not for long." She taunted. "Race you back to the house."

"You're going loose."

"We'll see." She said as she took off. A blur of tan skin.

I was quickly after her. It took less than a minute for us to arrive back at the house. I overtook her just as the house came into view. I skidded to a stop outside and turned around to her. The smirk now firmly placed on my face.

"Ok, you win." She said.

I saw Emmett poke his head out an upper window. "Who won today? Aw, you've got a cut. Don't tell me you let a girl beat you?" He said.

"She went wolf, Emmett."

"Oh, she's starting to take you serious then? Damn, well good luck next time." He said with a wave.

"You've been going easy on me haven't you." I said as I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Well, I didn't want to kill you." She said with a smile.

"Sure, sure." I said a little disgruntled as I looked back to the house. My father was standing at the door. I slight surprised look on his face.

"You phased this time, Leah?" He asked.

"Yeah, well, he's getting good." She said.

His eyes looked back at me. I was pleased by the slight pride that was held in his eyes. I was getting better, even if she had beaten me easily.

"Did you need something, Dad?" I asked.

"I would like to practice on honing your skills again." He said as his eyes took their usually intense focus again. I noticed Leah swiftly move back inside.

"You know that I won't be able to do it." I said dejected. How many times did I have to fail at this for them to realize I would never be able to? I just couldn't let go of the pull that my deeper instincts held on me.

"I know that you can, EJ. I would like to start now." He said still keeping his eyes locked on mine.

I didn't want to disappoint my dad. I never wanted too. Besides I had just really improved and now I was going to fail again. That's what made this worse. It was just so discouraging to have to practice this over and over again only fail. I hated the disappointed look on his face after we were finished. But, I knew my father. He wasn't going to this let go. I sighed and nodded.

"Alright. Let's practice." I said as I broke the eye contact between us.

"Good. Come with me." He turned on his heal and was in the woods in a flash. I quickly followed after him. I would try my best to make him proud. We arrived in a small clearing not too far from the cottage where the wolves stayed when they weren't at our house. Grandmother Esme was working on designing a more permanent one but it wasn't finished yet. Jasper was already there and waiting for us. He turned his head from the sky as we approached. There was a grin on his face.

"Jasper?" I questioned. I hadn't expected anyone other than my father to be here.

"Hey." He said with his southern accent.

"We are going to try something a little different today." Dad said.

"What do you mean?" I asked hesitantly. My instincts were flaring. I was sensing something I didn't like in the mood of the clearing.

Jasper's hand flashed out. I caught the red object he had thrown at me with relative ease, but I was confused. I looked at the now slightly bruised apple.

"Uh, what do you want me to do with this?"

"Cloak the apple." Dad said. I looked up at both of them. Were they serious? What good would this be?

"Why?"

"It's training. Since you can't suppress your abilities, we want you to try and expand them. Nessie's ability relies on touch. Your mother's ability can be spread. I cannot turn mine off. We believe that you also might be able to spread you ability to hide other things. Like an apple for example." Dad explained.

"Like a human." Jasper clarified. His eyes were boring into mine. Then it clicked. I could provide protection to Seth's human imprint. I could keep her completely safe from anything that would want to hurt her. If I could master the ability I was gifted with. If it was even possible... But, suddenly, I wanted to. I wanted to prove that there was something I was good for. My ability had a use. I was filled with fresh determination as I looked back at my father and Jasper.

"Ok. I'll try. How do I do it?"

"Let you instincts go. Allow the protection to cover you and then try to have it cover the apple as well. We know it can already cover other things because your clothes are covered when you are cloaked. Just try to imagine the apple as a part of you and we believe it will be cloaked as well." Jasper explained.

I nodded and let my instincts take over. It was easy to cover myself, but the apple remained visible. It appeared to be floating in the air. I tried to do what Jasper had said and imagine the apple as a part of my body, but it didn't work. Because somewhere inside me a part of me understood that the apple wasn't a part of who I was.

Dad frowned. "It's not working." He looked at Jasper. "I think we'll have to do what they did for Bella."

"What-"

Suddenly, Jasper was coming at me. His sharp nails were headed right for my chest. My instincts were flaring. I had to get away from the threat. I dogged to the right, but he kept following me. _Damn it!_ He wasn't supposed to be able to see me. Why could he? I clinched my hand tight and noticed juice was flowing down my hand. _The apple._ Jasper was following me because he could see the apple. I was about to drop it when Dad spoke.

"You cannot drop the apple. You must learn to cloak it. Only then will Jasper not be able to find you."

I cursed again. My instincts were hypersensitive. _Cloak the apple. Damn it. I can't keep up with Jasper. He's insanely good. Cloak!_ I focused on the apple while I tried to dodge Jasper's attacks. I was getting small cuts, but nothing to serious, yet. There was a moment, when he got a particularly nasty cut to my arm that I felt the instinct pulse extra hard and the apple flashed. My eyes widened.

I tired to push out again and get that pulse. The apple flashed invisible. The next second it was visible. _Come on!_ I was so focused on the apple, I forgot about Jasper. His fist connected hard with my shoulder, and I let out a hiss of pain before slamming into a tree. My head cracked sickeningly hard against the tree, and I saw black spots on my vision as the tree crumpled to the ground behind me. A second later, I joined it. My vision went black as I realized I had pushed my body too hard today.

"Well that was some progress." I heard my father say to Jasper.

"Maybe we went a little hard. I think he's going unconscious." I heard as I struggled to find my vision.

My dad made a musing sound. "Perhaps we did. Amun?"

"What." I slurred.

"You can take a rest now. We'll get you back home."

I hated the fact that I was too weak to continue, but hey I was only half-vampire. I quit forcing myself away from the sleep I knew I needed after facing Leah and Jasper head on in one day and let unconsciousness take me over.

Damn this was a bad day.

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OK! Hope that you liked that one. It had some budding love between Leah and Amun the main pair and some fighting and some plot! Who could ask for more? I'm sure you want a preview for the next chapter so here you go!

Chapter 4 ~ Black sheep

Today had been just as horrible as the first day of school. How could anyone get used to girls throwing themselves at you not because they like you, but because something about you lures them in. It was like fishing in a pond full of fish that were usually fed. It was sad to see how quickly they ran toward the bait. To their deaths. Because I knew that the part of me that lured these women (and a few men) in only did it because it wanted to taste their blood. I knew that because I felt the velvet voice in the back of my mind encouraging me to do it. They were so happy to give it to me. Why not take it?

I now fully understood how hard it was for Jasper to be around these humans. Because even though I had never tasted their blood, like I knew he had, he didn't have to get this close to them. At least the full vampires were avoided. We as halfs were flocked to.

I grabbed a tray of food from the entranced lunch lady who gave me extra pudding for free and moved to join the table with the rest of my vampire family. I noticed Jake, Seth, and Nessie weren't there. I glanced around and saw them seated with the human girl. I should have known. I put my tray on the table and sat down.

"What do you think about the human?"

"She's strange." Leah said.

Alice's eyes sparkled. "I like her."

I looked her way to try and understand her, but only met glassy eyes. Jasper's hands clasped on to her shoulders. "Alice? Alice, what do you see?"

The table tensed as she searched ahead into the future we couldn't see.

"Case." She said. "Case is coming."


	5. 4: Black Sheep

AN: ^^ SO! Here is the next chapter. I know this was a lot longer than it usually takes for me to upload, but if you knew how busy my life has been… I just glad I got it finished. So, here is the next chapter. It's a little longer too as an apology.

Disclamer (ha! I found the word!): I do not own any of the characters, plot, or books of the Twilight Saga (I really like that word _Saga) _anyway, they belong to Mrs. Meyer. I am just pretenting for a while. K? Awesome!

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4 ~ Black sheep

My eyes opened slowly. I glared up at the ceiling. Why on earth did I have to get knocked unconscious? It didn't seem fair that so many annoying things happened to me. Honestly, now Mom would be worried, and Leah would smirk. Sure enough, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head to look and see who had been waiting up for me.

I was a little surprised to see Leah. I guessed she would come in eventually, but I hadn't expected her to wait in my room. Her head was resting back against the chair. Her eyes were closed and her breathing soft and slow. She was asleep. I found all the irritation I had slowly melting away. Honestly, how had I not seen how attractive Leah was? Her skin was a perfect tan that came from her Indian heritage. My own skin seemed ghostly pale compared to hers. Her black hair flowed like a river down her body. It seemed to catch the light and glimmer almost seeming more blue than black.

Her eyes snapped open. I was suddenly guilty to have been staring at her like I had been. Her eyes held mine almost curiously.

"See something you like?" She teased.

I snorted and shook my head. I moved to get up and found her hand on my chest. I looked up at her confused. A question was on my lips, but she beat me to it.

"Carlisle wanted you to rest until he came back in to check on you. Just to be sure nothing serious happened. You aren't fully vampire. He doesn't know how your body will heal."

"I was just knocked unconscious. It was nothing important."

"We don't know that and neither do you." She said as her hand pushed harder against my chest. I sighed and gave up. She could be just as stubborn as my father.

"Glad to see you awake." Grandfather said as he entered the room.

"How long was I out?" I asked them.

"It wasn't all that long. Five hours." Leah said. "I didn't realize I made you so tired." She grinned at me. My mood sunk. I had slept so long. Maybe there was something wrong with me. I dismissed that thought. I was fine.

"How does your head feel?" Grandfather asked as he moved to examine me.

"Normal." I said as his stone cold fingers probed my head.

"Does anything seem off to you?" He asked as he moved to look at my eyes.

I thought about that for a second before I realized something. Leah's blood seemed like it was pulsing extremely loud. Her smell seemed almost intoxicating. I knew what that meant because Leah's scent never bothered me before.

"I'm famished." I said slightly confused. I had eaten a couple of days ago. Even for me this was unusual. Grandfather looked away from my eyes nodding. I guessed that my pupils were extremely dilated. A sign of warning. I could loose control soon.

"You will need to feed." He said with a nod.

I sighed and nodded. For some reason, Nessie and I needed more blood than my parents or the other vampires. We believed it had to do with our heritage. Humans definitely needed to feed more than vampires. Since my heart still beat, we needed to give it nutrients to pump where as the true vampires did not.

"Has anyone not gone?" I asked as I looked out at the night sky.

"Rose was waiting to see if you wanted to go." Leah said.

"Rose?" I asked quietly hoping she wouldn't hear.

Leah grinned. "She does like you, ya know." She stated.

"I know. She said I was the son she never had."

"Well, are you ready to go then, son?" Rose said from the door. There was a mildly amused look on her face. I nodded having expected her to be impatient as always.

After getting dressed and saying bye to Grandfather and Leah, I left with Rosalie to go hunting. We didn't spend that much time together usually. She and Alice were both busy with a new fall line for one of their haute couture fashion projects. I actually thought Rose was a little, well, self-centered.

"How have you been lately?" She asked as we scanned the forest for some type of animal to feed on. Surely there was some night creature that I could taste.

I looked over at her curiously. "Why do you ask, Rose?" It was definitely a change for her to be concerned for anyone other than herself.

She flashed her perfect smile my way, but I saw the mirth in her eyes. "Leah has been acting a little off lately. Has something happened between you two?"

"Off?" Memories of her standing at my door that night, of her hand burning on my face, of the strange change in her eyes that sometimes came with her unexpected softness flooded my mind. Ok, so maybe she had been acting a little different, but I had honestly really liked the change.

"I haven't seen you teasing her about it. Does that mean you don't mind?" She said as she sniffed the air. It was like she was reading my thoughts. I didn't like it.

"I- What does it matter?" I asked suddenly disgruntled in the conversation. I didn't feel like I wanted Rosalie to know about what was happening with me and Leah.

"Your father has been very annoyed at her lately." She commented.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked frustrated. Rose usually wasn't so indirect. When she had a point to make, she was usually extremely blunt.

"Alice has been pushing me to talk to you because it bothers her not to know what will end up happening between you two." She said with a roll of her eyes. Yeah, I could see Alice begging Rose to help her with something she felt was immensely important.

"What does she want you to do, Rose?"

Her perfect grin spread on her face as she nodded to the right. I smelt the deer herd too. There were enough for both of us to be satisfied. We were lucky that they were still active this late at night.

"She wants me to enlighten you on human behavior."

"I'm not human." I said for the millionth time.

"Oh come on, you know you've been feeling oddly lately right?"

I was uncomfortable. I didn't really want to talk about this with her or anyone for that matter. Well, I wouldn't mind talking to Leah, but I wasn't going to tell anyone that.

"I know I'm right." She said smugly. "You two are beginning to understand each other better."

I glared at her and she just rolled her eyes unimpressed by my attempts to make her shut up.

"I know that your father explained vampire love to you, yes?"

I nodded wondering where she was going with this and what it had to do with me.

"Some human love is similar to vampire. It is called love at first sight. Fast and consuming. However," her voice whispered, and we came closer to the herd; "some human love matures from friendship. It is much slower, and sometimes they don't realize it has happened."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked as I looked over the herd for my first kill.

"Alice asked me too. She promised to get me the newest Porsche in exchange." She grinned at the thought of the new car. If anything would make Rose act, it was the promise of another car. As usually, her motivation was solely for self-gain. She was addicted to cars.

I rolled my eyes. "Well, I guess you get your car. Can I eat now?" I said as I refocused my eyes on the largest buck of the herd.

"Yes. Let's eat." She said as she rushed towards the herd. I followed quickly after. The deer never stood a chance against us. The buck died quickly. I left him on the ground to kill another deer. This one was a doe. She was close; and I was famished. I snapped her neck, and she twitched once before laying still beneath me. The scent of her was driving me insane.

My instincts took over. My teeth quickly tore into her neck. Hot sweet, sustaining blood flowed over my tongue. I lapped it in greedily. She was drained far too quickly for my taste. I dropped her to the ground and turned back to my first kill. The buck's blood was still warm but a little harder to coax from his body, regardless he too was soon dry.

I looked up finally full and saw Rose smirking over at me.

"What?" I asked as I licked my lips to make sure I didn't waist any of their sweet blood. It wasn't as good as the human's smelled but as far as animals went I enjoyed deer the most. It was nice because there were so many of them as compared to the irritable grizzles like Emmett liked.

"You were hungrier that I expected." She said as she tilted her head in amusement.

"You weren't?"

She ran her hands over her silhouette. "I can't go gorging. I have a body to maintain."

I chuckled. "Rose, you body won't change no matter how much you drink."

"Yes, well. I still like to watch what I eat."

"Sure, sure." I said as we started back to the house.

After feeding, I felt my body calling for more sleep. It was strange for me to need so much sleep, but I caulked it up as part of over straining my body. I was part human. I could have very well pushed myself above the limits my body could take, plus I had been extremely hungry. It was possible that I was dehydrated as well. All I knew was the second my head hit the pillow of my room, I was asleep again.

I woke up fairly early for me and wandered slowly down the stairs toward the main room. I could hear my father's smooth piano music filling the air. It was a new song, or at least one I hadn't heard him play before. I was a couple feet from the door when I heard my mother sigh. I paused.

"Edward. Thank you. It was lovely." She said.

I heard Dad's soft chuckle. "Its about the only thing you will let me give you." He said in a deep tone.

"You gave me both my children, Edward. I couldn't wish for anything more than that." She said equally softly.

I slipped back upstairs slowly. I didn't want to eavesdrop any longer. I met Leah in the kitchen. She looked like she was in the middle of frying bacon. Several eggs were lying beside a bowl. She looked up as I entered the room.

"Do you always get up this early?" I asked.

She shrugged. "You haven't ever had Seth's or Jake's cooking."

I shook my head no.

"Ugh, it horrible. Your father sometimes will cook for us. But usually he spends his mornings with Bella. So, I got stuck cooking. At least eggs and bacon are easy."

I sat down and watched her cook as the rest of the house stirred to life or well, you know what I mean. The wolves showed up first and so began the normal routine of mornings at the Cullen house. The wolves fought over food while they joked with the rest of the family. It struck me as odd that we could be so relaxed even with the possible threat to the family. Even Seth seemed to be enjoying himself this morning. Though I doubted that he would ever truly forget that he had left us stranded here. All too soon for my liking Leah looked up and said.

"You ready for school?"

"Can't I skip?"

She grinned at me as did several other members of the family.

"I heard you had a fan club." Jasper said from the corner of the room. I turned toward him. He continued. "I would hate to feel their disappointment if you didn't show up to school for two days in a row."

"Come on, Amun. We are going to have fun at school!" Alice said with her bright eyes shinning in my direction. She turned to my sister. "Right, Nessie?"

Nessie brightened too. "RIGHT! School is so much fun! You know you want to come too, Amun."

"No. I don't really."

Mom looked down at me in sympathy. She understood my dislike for attention. "I'm sure today will be better than the first."

I looked up at her and sighed realizing that I would be literally forced to go if I didn't agree. "Sure, sure."

Oh how easily she lied to me. Today had been just as horrible as the first day of school. How could anyone get used to girls throwing themselves at you not because they like you, but because something about you lures them in. It was like fishing in a pond full of fish that were usually fed. It was sad to see how quickly they ran toward the bait. To their deaths. Because I knew that the part of me that lured these women (and a few men) in only did it because it wanted to taste their blood. I knew that because I felt the velvet voice in the back of my mind encouraging me to do it. They were so happy to give it to me. Why not take it?

I now fully understood how hard it was for Jasper to be around these humans. Because even though I had never tasted their blood, like I knew he had, he didn't have to get this close to them. At least the full vampires were avoided. We as halfs were flocked to.

I grabbed a tray of food from the entranced lunch lady who gave me extra pudding for free and moved to join the table with the rest of my vampire family. I noticed Jake, Seth, and Nessie weren't there. I glanced around and saw them seated with the human girl. I should have known. I put my tray on the table and sat down.

"What do you think about the human?"

"She's strange." Leah said.

Alice's eyes sparkled. "I like her."

I looked her way to try and understand how Alice worked, but only met glassy eyes. _Oh no._ Jasper's hands clasped on to her shoulders. "Alice? Alice, what do you see?"

The table tensed as she searched ahead into the future we couldn't see.

"Case." She said. "Case is coming."

"Who is Case?" My mother asked as she took in the varied expressions at the table.

"Trouble." My father said briefly.

"How far away if he?" Jasper asked.

"Aw, come on. Case can be cool." Emmett said as he poked Jasper with his elbow.

"He's in Forks. He went to visit us there, but we had moved. He decided he wanted to come and find us." Dad said.

"How long till he gets here?" Mom asked him as she placed a hand on his arm.

"Not long. You know Case. His contacts probably already gave him the information." Jasper told my worried mother.

"Um, I still don't understand who this Case person is." Leah said. "Is he a friendly vamp?" She said as she finished the pudding on her plate.

The people who knew Case looked towards Jasper waiting for him to explain. "Case was an old friend of mine from the south. He's sort of like Rogue Royalty."

"Rogue Royalty?" I asked confused as I shifted my extra pudding cup towards Leah. She grinned at me but shook her head. She must have been full. How she could eat such so called food was beyond me. It tasted disgusting.

Jasper looked at me almost apologetically. "No one messes with Case. He can be temperamental. He doesn't make loyalties with anyone."

"He sounds dangerous." Mom said with a frown.

"His ability is fire." Dad countered.

My eyes widened. "No way. Fire?"

Dad nodded. "He can manipulate fire anywhere within range – which no one really knows how large his range is. It makes him dangerous to his enemies. It's why the Volutri leave him alone. It's why everyone leaves him alone. With his gift, he could kill anything that came after him easily."

A silence followed his statement. I was hesitant now. Rose looked at Alice. She didn't seem worried in the slightest. "Do you think he's finally found a shirt he liked?" She mused in the same tone she used when discussing the latest fashion designs. No, she obviously wasn't worried at all. That surprised me. Case seemed like a potential threat.

"I didn't see him in the vision." A smile quirked on her pixy face. "I bet he hasn't. You know how picky he can be."

"A shirt?" Leah said sounding more confused by the second.

Rose rolled her eyes as Emmett grinned. "Don't worry about it. Case is cool."

"Yeah, when he decides not to burn you to a crisp." Dad said.

"Oh, come on. You know he likes us. After all, Jasper was his first friend. Right?" Emmett said as he fixed his eyes back on Jasper who merely shrugged. I wasn't sure exactly what to think about this new development. Did we need any more trouble on top of what we had already? No, we didn't. Would we be able to avoid this new threat? No, that seemed highly doubtful. So, I just sighed and looked towards heaven. If there was ever I time that I hoped that Dad was wrong about our relationship with the Lord, now was it. We would definitely need divine intervention to survive all this mess.

"Come on, Amun!" My sister's voice pulled me from my thoughts.

"What?" I said as I turned to focus on her. She and the other members of the cafeteria were leaving. I must have missed something, again.

"The bell rang. Honestly, you daydream far too much." She said with a shake of her head before she ran back toward the human who smelled like cool falling water.

I got up and deposited my uneaten lunch and the bonus pudding in the trash before following after the trail of students on their way to afternoon classes. I entered the room that I now designated as my second hell (the first being sex education). With a sigh, I realized that my fan group had seemed to grow over night. There were more female faces that turned to stare at me as I entered. I heard the increase in their heart rates, the flutter-like sighs, and the high pitched giggles. They made me groan in annoyance.

"Hi!" A shrill female's voice assaulted my ears. I was hesitant to turn toward the human female. Her scent was much more subtle than I was used to. It was a light floral scent that reminded me of a meadow that my parents once took me to back in Forks. Unfortunately, it also made my bloodlust pulse. She wasn't doing herself any favors by smelling so pleasant in comparison to her companions.

My fingers twitched to close around her arms and lead her somewhere private. I could fine some closet and take in her pleasant scent without any distractions. I wondered what it would taste like. Would it be better than her smell? _One way to find out._ The silky voice reminded me_. It wouldn't be so bad. Her blood would taste wonderful and powerful. No one would notice. You could take her easily. She wouldn't put up any fight. She _wants_ you to take her._ I quickly stopped the mind numbing voice in my head before it got too much control. Of course someone would notice if I took this girl to a closet. Everyone was watching me. I almost growled in frustration.

I turned my now twitching eye to see who it was that wanted my attention and to prematurely end her life. Damn my father and his manners. I would much better glare her to the pits of hell for what she was doing to me. "Hello." I said with as much forced kindness as I could muster this late in the afternoon as I focused on the painted human girl. I did not understand why she hid her face behind the cosmetic masks called makeup, but to me it made her look like a clown. Especially with the deep circles that encased her eyes. It was slightly comical. Only slightly. The annoyance I felt towards these hormonal human females who kept challenging my control was quickly making the situation anything but comical.

Her rapid heart rate and uneasy breathing made me think she might pass out. I was surprised when she held her ground. After a few seconds of only hearing her heartbeat, I began to wonder why she wasn't moving. I waved my hand in front of her face. There was no reaction. I closed my eyes, sighed, and shook my head. Human females were impossible. I turned away and headed for my lone desk. I didn't even try to sit next to Nessie today. She would be fine on her own. I was too irritated to care anyway.

"You don't seem to like the girls falling all over you. Do you have a girlfriend?" I heard a slightly curious female's voice ask. Her scent hit me just as I was about to tell her to go away. She tasted of waterfalls. Cool, crisp water. It relaxed me to a degree. While my bloodlust was pushed back, my body tingled. It wanted to get away from this girl. She was trouble. But I kept my instincts in check. I knew they were over reacting.

"No, I do not. And your name is?" I said as I met the green eyes of Seth's imprint.

She gave me a hard glance almost as if she was sizing me up. It did nothing to dispel the unease I felt toward her. She nodded her head and then extended her arm. "I'm Clara Barton. Nice to meet you."

I took her hand hesitantly. Was she being serious? By the strangely determined look on her face, she must be. A wry smile crossed my features. "Amun Swan. Clara Barton, that's a unique name. Were you named after the Clara Barton, founder of the Red Cross?"

My parents had tutored me extensively in the medical field. As after all, my Grandfather spent his whole existence serving it – well post change existence. Mrs. Barton had been a high point of that talk. Grandfather Carlisle had even met her before the war. He said she was compassionate yet strong woman. She was partially responsible for my birth too. Her followers had those wonderful human blood drives which had provided me with my first true nourishment in the womb. So, I owed Clara Barton to some degree.

This Clara Barton sat down in the chair in front of me with a slightly sad look on her face. "She died in childbirth. I never got to ask her."

"Your dad never got around to telling you?" I asked.

"Dad never told me or at least I don't remember." She shrugged. I realized that she wasn't exactly telling me the whole truth, but it didn't bother me that much.

"So, Clara, you live with your father then?" I realized that despite the fact that she was the glue keeping all our problems together, I felt an unknown sadness welling within me. I could not imagine never having my mother around. It was sympathy; I realized. I felt sympathy for her. Where had all my instincts gone? Why did I not distrust her? It was a strange moment of confusion for me.

Her lips turned up in a true smile pulling me from my unwanted realizations. "Yes, Father found me a couple of years ago."

"Found you?" I said as my brows pulled together. "Were you lost?"  
She laughed. "No, I wasn't lost. I was at the orphanage." She leaned in and glanced to both sides before continuing. "The nuns are like slave drivers. I was so glad he came for me." She said as she nodded her head again. It was like she was agreeing with herself.

I wasn't sure whether to laugh or not. After a moment, she grinned at me, and I laughed easily. She was strange, but oddly enough, I liked her. I suddenly realized why I wasn't distrustful of her. She seemed so straight forward. Even though I knew that I had smelt the vampire on her, she didn't seem like a lightly threat. There was nothing deceitful about her. She seemed just like a normal human girl. Well, perhaps not normal, but still safe, honest. My instincts didn't flare in her presence anymore. I should have known better than to doubt Alice.

"So, your father wasn't around when you were born?" I asked. Now that I realized she wasn't a threat. I was curious about the girl. After all, we would be around her a lot whether she realized it or not.

"Father wasn't around, but Dad was."

"Dad?" Now I was puzzled again. "Aren't they the same?"

She shook her head. "Oh no. Dad and Mom were together. He didn't want me though. Left me with the nuns." She shivered as she thought about the nuns again. I wondered how bad these nuns must be. "Father was the one who loved me enough to take me home with him."

"I see."

She nodded again. She seemed to do that a lot. It was then that my sister showed up. She grinned at the two of us. "So, you met my brother, did you?"

Clara looked up at Nessie back at me and then nodded slowly. "Oh." She hit her forehead with her hand. What was she doing? I had never thought humans would purposely hit themselves. Wasn't it an old form of punishment? I shook my head realizing I wasn't going to ever understand this girl. "I should have known. You two are twins, right?"

Nessie grinned. I merely sighed. Had she not known that when she came over to talk to me in the first place? I looked back at her. Apparently not. Why on earth had she come over then? I sincerely hoped she wasn't entranced by me. She didn't seem to be. I held to that slim shred of hope. Besides she was definitely different than the other girls. I'm sure she had some strange illogical reason why she had come to talk to me. It probably had nothing to do with the almost magnetic attraction most human females felt towards me.

"Why did you come talk to Amun then?" Nessie said as she placed herself in the chair beside us.

"Oh, I was curious as to why all the girls acted so strangely lately." She looked back at me and cocked her head. "I still don't understand." She said with a shrug.

Nessie quickly drew her attention with a laugh. She missed my sigh of relief. Soon the two girls were talking about the local sights. I tuned them out, not at all interested in malls.

My earth science class came quickly and ended quickly. I was disappointed that it didn't last very long. How strange that an hour in his class passed so much faster than the hour I spent learning about human reproductive systems. I was thoroughly enjoying studying more about the plants that I spent most of my days sitting on. I almost took the book home, but didn't want to loose the sense of learning in class. So, I left the book in my locker.

The trip home was quick since I had decided to ride in the Volvo with my father. I was on my way to find a new tree to sit on when I heard Alice's voice reach out to me.

"Don't be too far away. I don't think it will be much longer before our guest arrives." She said.

I turned and nodded. "I'll stay visible. Let me know when I should come back."

"We will." Dad said with a nod.

I quickly moved to the back of the house in search of a new perch. I found a nice branch about halfway up a tree. It was nice and thick. Leah would have plenty of room. Not that I was choosing a branch for her, it was just convenient. I quickly adjusted myself against the tree trunk and relaxed. I realized that I was invisible, but didn't really mind. I knew that Leah would be here soon. My parents could just use her as a guide for finding me. It had always worked in the past when I was needed.

"You know you aren't visible right?" My favorite wolf asked as she situated herself on the branch.

I nodded then grinned to myself knowing she couldn't see my silent affirmation. "I was relaxing. I guess I went too far." I slowly repressed my natural instincts and revealed myself to her. "Is this better?"

She shook her head at me and met my eyes. They reflected the same laughter I knew was in mine. "It doesn't matter to me. Your parent's just said you would be easier to find today, being visible and all."

I frowned. "Is it easier to find me when I'm visible?" I asked her. I didn't like that thought.

She grinned at me. "After eight years of being pulled in your direction? No, it's the same either way. You should know that by how often I beat you." She said with a smirk. I easily fell back into our usual bantering.

"Wanna see how much it helps you today?" I asked quirking my eyebrow upwards. I let my lips form into an answering smirk.

Her eyes flashed in excitement. "Do I get to go wolf so I can kick your ass and that smirk off your face?"

"Like you can this time." I said as I slowly disappeared from her sight. She moved to the forest floor and was about to take off her shirt when my mother came out of the house and stopped her. She frowned at the both of us.

"Honestly, I would have expected you to have more control Leah. You two cannot fight right now." She glared at Leah who growled in return. Leah didn't like being interrupted. Neither did I. I glared at Mom as she tried to find me. I was still cloaked; she could only guess that I was in the trees. She let out an exasperated growl as I smirked to myself very pleased with my abilities. "EJ, show yourself now."

I rolled my eyes but did as she wished. Now she was glaring at me too. "Both of you come inside. Edward can hear his thoughts now. It won't be long."

As we all entered the house, Emmett gave us a huge grin. "Who won today?"

"Mom stopped us. She didn't feel today was the best day." I said moodily.

"Aw, Bella! That's not fair." Emmett complained.

"Yeah, come on, Bella! You're acting like a mom!" Jacob added.

"They can fight when there isn't a rogue on the way. Of course I'm acting like a mom, Jake! I am one!" Mom said with a small glare towards the gigantic vampire and his wolf counterpart.

Alice danced up to my mom and put a soothing hand on her back. "Now, now. Don't worry. Everything will be fine. K?" She said with a twinkle of knowledge in her eye. One that never seemed to leave.

Mom sighed and gave in. "I know. I know."

"He's here." Dad said as he focused on the front door. The room's atmosphere shifted almost visibly. I frowned a little. Was he coming in through the front door? A second later, my thoughts were answered when there was a gentle knock on the door. Then another. And another. I saw Grandfather Carlisle give a small smile towards the door. Well, at least he had manners.

"Come in." Grandfather said with no hostility at all.

The door knob turned. The door swung open. Standing in the door was not really what I was expecting. He looked to be about our ages. Eighteen at the most. He was wearing a pair of worn, frayed, and patched jeans. I had expected better clothes the explanations I had been given. As Alice had predicted there was no shirt on his torso. It left his well defined muscles open for all eyes to see as well as the scars that almost to mimic Jasper's. His face was strong but neither too wide nor too thin. He had high cheek bones leading to his eyes. Deep crimson eyes. My instincts itched at the color. His forehead was covered by the shocking black hair that contrasted against his pale vampire visage. But what made him unusual was the crimson tint to the ends of this shaggy black hair. It appeared as if the tips had been dipped into some lurid paint. Those ends almost touched the string that was tied around his neck. I saw the tips of a black cowboy had hanging from his back.

I wasn't sure what to think of him. But I knew enough from the feeling that my instincts were giving off that he was dangerous. I took particular attention to one scar that ran from the left shoulder blade all the way down to his right hip. It was an angry red color. I realized it must be a new and deep for it to still be healing.

At the moment though, he was smiling a wide smile that showed all of his perfect, deadly teeth. He scanned over us quickly and paused when he got to the first of the wolves. His grin grew a little then he laughed. It was not what I had expected. I had expected some sort of cruel evil laugh, but his was almost child-like.

"So, the rumors were true! Ha! I should have known." He laughed again and moved to Jasper. "Yo! Long time no see. How have you been?" He said as he cocked his head slightly to the side holding out his hand.

Jasper returned the grin and took his offered hand. "I've been ok. Seems like you've been having trouble again." Jasper said as he eyed the same long scar that I had been eyeing.

One of the rogue's hands went to the back of his head as he gave a nervous laugh. "Well, you know. Women can be kinda fickle."

Alice raised an eyebrow. "You got into another lover's quarrel?" She asked.

"Aw, Alice, I though you would have already known. Huh, must be loosing you touch, yeh?" He teased.

"Case," she warned, "I haven't been stalking your decisions."

"Well I guy can always hope." He said as he turned toward Grandfather. "Sorry, I was excited to see Jasper. I forgot my manners. How are you Carlisle?"

"I am well. And you?" Grandfather asked with the same gentle smile on his face.

"I'm great! But, I actually came to see your rumor starters." He said as he turned to my mother. Dad put a hand on her shoulder and drew Case's attention to him.

"Case-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know she's taken, but damn Edward. I didn't understand when they said you were protecting a human female, but damn. It's Bella isn't it?" Mom nodded with a bewildered expression on her face. Case grinned. "You are extremely hot!" Mom blinked. I frowned. He was calling my mom hot? I shivered. That was so wrong.

"Thank you." She said in her usual bell chime voice.

"Damn, Edward, Damn. I hate you." He said with a smile on his face. "So, these are the kids?" He said turning to me and my sister.

Nessie always excited to meet new people bounded over to him and put her hand on his face. Mom flinched as her hand connected. Dad tensed. But, nothing bad happened. Case looked at her like she had grown an extra head for a second before his eyes widened and his mouth opened in a small o. When Nessie finally withdrew her arm, he spoke.

"Wow, Nessie, huh?" He grinned at her, "I like it. Nice name. Really cool power."

"Thanks! So, are you really royalty?" Nessie asked.

Case's eyebrows raised a little, and he glanced towards Jasper. "Royalty?" He laughed. "I guess so. I didn't know I had been upgraded." My eyes narrowed. What was that supposed to mean?

"Upgraded?" Nessie asked.

"Yup." He said with a grin. I saw Rose roll her eyes. Something was definitely off about this. I wondered if he had crossed our family at some point. I didn't doubt it at all. He seemed very scatter brained.

"So, you must be the twin, right?" He said as he turned his crimson eyes towards me. I was caught off guard by this vampire. I knew what my father had said was true. Case had to be dangerous. It was obvious that he would give no thought to murdering the humans. I had reason to believe he might have betrayed my family, but right now, even though he had the eyes of a killer, they were shinning like a child's eyes would be.

I nodded. "I'm Amun."

"Nice to meet you, Amun." He said as he held out a hand to me. I took the hand and was extremely surprised to feel its warmth. It seemed to be getting hotter. I frowned. His grip was stone hard as all vampires' bodies seemed to be. I tried to remove my hand from his, but couldn't. My frown deepened, and I narrowed my eyes. What was he doing?

"Case," my father growled.

His lips turned into a frown. His grip didn't loosen. "Were the rumors off about your son? His name is Amun right?" He asked my father.

"I'm right here." I said annoyed that Case was ignoring me. "And yes, my name is Amun." I said in a growl. "Can you not burn my hand?"

His frown turned to more of a pout. "I wanted to see if you would use your power. It is invisibility right?"

Regardless of how friendly we were being with a potential threat, I was not going to go around showing off the trump card of the family. No way, no how. I returned his crushing grip as best I could. "I may not be a full vampire, but I do have some control, Case."

He grinned very wide then and dropped my hand. He laughed. "I like you too. Man, ya'll are way more fun than last time I was here. Say does this mean Rose will go on a date with me?" He said as he looked toward my aunt.

Rose rolled her eyes again in amusement. I could tell she enjoyed his attention even if she would never take him up on it. "As if."

"Stingy." Case said as he looked back at the wolves. He took a deep breath. "So they do stink."

"You're the one who smells." Leah said.

Case turned to look at her, and I could almost see the wheels turning in his head. "You know." He said as he walked closer to her. I mentally rolled my eyes. I could already tell he was a horrible flirt. "I could go for a girl like you. Feisty, warm, but not intoxicating. What do you say? Wanna go on a date?" Leah narrowed her eyes at Case. I felt a deep part of my mind growling at him. The primal instinct was begging me to take him out for bothering Leah like that.

"No. I don't date your type."

"What would that be?" He said with a slow grin. I almost launched at him.

"Human killers." Leah snarled. I smirked.

"Aw, it's not that bad." He wasn't taking the hint.

"No."

"Please."

"No."

"I'll go veggie for a week?"

"No."

"Ok, so I couldn't do that. What about-"

"No."

"You didn't even-"

"NO!" She growled. I could see her starting to shake. Seth turned to look at her.

"Chill, Leah."

Case sighed. "Man, its just not my day for women." He looked back toward my dad. I moved closer to Leah. I had never seen her loose control so easily.

"Now who doesn't have control, Leah?" I whispered with a not to subtle grin.

She glared my way. "Oh shut it."

"Do you know if there are any hot human girls around?" I heard Case asking Emmett. Did he never give up? I wondered.

"Case, you can't kill here." Grandmother Esme reminded him gently.

"Oh, I know. I was going to take her to go." He said with a chuckle. When he noticed that no one else was laughing, he sighed. "Honestly, it was a joke."

"How long do you think you will be in town?" Emmett asked.

Case made a musing sound. "Well… I'm here on business so really it will be a little bit longer than I expected. Besides, I like hanging out with you guys, yeah. So, maybe a week or two." He shrugged. "It all depends on business."

"What kind of business?" Nessie asked.

Case gave a mischievous grin. "I can't tell that now. It's classified."

"You are welcome to stay here while you are in town." Grandfather Carlisle said. No way did I want him staying around.

Case chuckled. "So you can keep an eye on me? No thanks, but I will be in touch. However, right now, I'm famished."

"Just make sure you stay off of our lands." Jasper said.

Case nodded and grinned again. "Well, later guys."

With that, Case was gone. The door closing in his wake. I turned to look at my father who had his head in his hand. It had been a quick visit.

"Could you tell what kind of business sent him our way?" Grandfather asked after a couple of seconds probably to make sure Case couldn't hear.

Dad shook his head. "Do you know what he was thinking the whole time he was here?" He paused for a second. "He was reciting the Greek alphabet over and over in his head."

Jasper shook his head. "He always was good at negating your ability, Edward."

I looked toward the door with wide eyes. Damn, I definitely wouldn't be underestimating Case if we ever had to fight. I certainly hoped nothing would happen while he was in town. And I fervently hoped he didn't find a girl he liked today. If he did, she wouldn't be alive in the morning.

* * *

So there you go! Case has been established! Is he good? Is he bad? Why on earth is he even in the story? Will he ever find a woman!? Oh, heaven help him. Sorry, I just wanted to do that. Just so that you don't loose interest in my story here is a preview for the next chapter! Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Chapter 5 ~ Passages

"Time out." I heard my mother's voice above the crowd. I moved closer to see what was going on. She usually didn't yell in public especially not at school.

"Aw, come on, Bella. It will be fine. I'll be there. And Seth and," I heard Jake saying as I came up. "Hey! Amun can come too. He can be all stealthy just in case."

"There is no way I'm letting Nessie anywhere near that place."

"But, nothing's happened in a while."

"Three days does not qualify as awhile, Jake."

"Mom." I heard Nessie whine. "ImeanBella!" She corrected quickly.

Mom sighed before turning to my father. "Edward, back me up here."

Dad was frowning. "I don't like it." He turned towards Jake. "I wouldn't think you would want to put her in such potential danger."

Jake sighed. "I don't, but Seth is suffering. It hurts him to be away as long as he is."

Mom turned towards a pleading Seth. "Please, Bella, we won't be there long. Besides, Jake and I can handle it if another vamp shows up. We wouldn't let anything hurt Nessie."

"What if it's the one that got Jake?" Dad countered.

"It won't happen again. Promise." Jake said.

Mom was wavering. I could tell. She hated for people to be in pain. She turned to me. "Amun would you please go with them."

"Where are we going?" I asked. I knew it was something important for vampires to be an issue.

"Clara Barton's house."


	6. 5: Passages

Hey! Happy after Christmas! I really hope you like this chapter, it wasn't suppost to be this long (the longest yet), but I don't think that really so bad. Now, I am worried that it's not a very good story. Lots of people have read, but only 4 have messaged me. I would really like to know what you think. A simple :) works for me. Thanks and enjoy! Oh, and thank you so much to the three readers who have messaged. It's means way more than words can express.

Disclaimer! I do not own any of the books, characters, or plots of the Twilight Saga. Mrs. Meyer owns those. I'm just playing with them for a bit.

* * *

5 ~ Passages

I groaned as I looked up from the board to see Alice's pixy smile firmly planted on her face. She moved the chess piece with deliberate slowness to the perfect position. Her smile grew as she exclaimed that dreaded word. "Checkmate."

I sighed and looked back at the board which had betrayed me. "You cheated." I said dejectedly.

Her laugh was high and excited. "Silly. You know I can't cheat when I play you."

"I know. I know." I grumbled, not at all pleased that she had beaten me fair and square.

Emmett popped his head through the open door with a disappointed look on his face. "Man, you lost again?" He said to me.

"Sorry, Em. I guess I still have a lot to learn."

He pouted. "There goes my theory that she really can't play."

Alice's twinkling eyes looked back at her bear-like brother. "Emmett, even if I couldn't see the future I could still beat you."

Emmett sighed an exaggerated, fake sigh and then grinned at her. "Yeah, your right. Thinking never was my specialty. Speaking of which. Where's your hubby?"

"Out back with Edward. Why?" She asked with that twinkle of knowledge in her eye. Of course she knew. She merely asked so I could be let in on the secret.

"I want a rematch." He said as he flexed him muscles. "Wanna see if I can finally beat that punk. You have any advice?"

Alice shook her head and gave a short laugh. "You know Jasper won't let me help you cheat."

"Man." We heard Emmett's voice. His body was already gone. He had a one track mind when he decided on something. "Later." We heard as he left the house.

"Will he win?" I asked Alice.

She looked thoughtful for a second, probably looking ahead. She shook her head. "Still too early to see, but I doubt it."

"ALICE!" I heard Emmett bellow from outside.

Alice's high laugh echoed through the house, and I joined her. It had been a quiet afternoon after the departure of the flirtatious rogue Case. Alice had practically dragged me upstairs to have some 'bonding' time with her. Leah had tried to follow but Alice hadn't let the female wolf past the door to her room. I had tried to make Leah feel better by huffing, but in all honestly, I enjoyed Alice's company. Well when she wasn't seeing horrible things that would happen or trying to make me her life-sized Ken doll, I enjoyed her company.

Speaking of which, since Case was probably outside of Dad's range, I wondered what he was doing. It had been several hours since he left the house. I looked at Alice as she finished putting the pieces back in place for another round. "Say, Alice?"

She made a musing sound as she focused on her first move of our fifth or sixth game to let me know she had heard me.

"Do you know what Case is doing right now?" I had been curious about the extent of Alice's vision powers. Could she actually know exactly what anyone was doing right after they decided to do it?

She surprised me by laughing at my question. Her slim fingers darted over the chess board almost too quickly for me to see. Her first move of the game over, she answered my question with a shake of her head. "Amun, did you happen to catch that Case is very interested in females – regardless for their, well, species?"

I nodded as I assessed the position of her pawn.

"He enjoys" she let out a petite cough, "having sexual relations with women." My hand stilled over the pawn I was about to move. My eyes flashed to hers. She had to be kidding, right? I could tell she was trying very hard not to bust out laughing. What was wrong with that guy?

"Human females are too much of an enticement for his bloodlust to handle. So when there are no vampires around, he rents movies to satisfy himself instead. I'm sure with the number of movies he decided to rent tonight that he will have little time to do anything else worthy of note. I stopped checking on him awhile ago."

"Ah. Right." I said as I moved my pawn into position. I was trying very hard to focus back on the game only. I didn't want any mental pictures of what Case was doing anywhere near my brain at the moment. Alice's eyes danced with mirth as my mother appeared at the door.

"Alice," she chimed.

"Yes, Bella?" Alice smiled over her shoulder.

"Please don't corrupt my son anymore than necessary." Mom said as she rubbed her hands to her temples. I knew it was from the stress she had to be under. My mother was a constant worrier. She said it came from always having to watch out for my Grandmother Renee when Mom was still human. Now she worried over my sister and me. It always took my father to relax her. Sure enough, almost as if he sensed Mom's unease, Dad appeared behind her.

"Bella." His rhythmic voice soothed. "EJ is fine. Alice would never corrupt him, right?" He said as he glanced over at my aunt with his piercing eyes to which Alice smiled a purely innocent smile. I truly wondered how she had managed to make it look so real. I knew she was nothing near innocent.

Mom let out a breath of air that she didn't need and relaxed back into my father. "Thank you, Edward. I just," she bit her bottom lip, a small habit that she had picked back up over the years in an attempt to seem more human, "won't feel better until Case leaves."

"I know." He said as his hands glided over her arms in a gesture of affection. "Will some music help?" He offered.

I soft smile graced Mom's lips. "I would enjoy my lullaby." Her eyes seemed to change as they always did when she talked with Dad.

Dad's almost perfect smile flitted across his face as he kissed the side of her neck. "I can do that."

They were gone then. I felt strange having witnessed them act like that. It was so … something I couldn't quite name yet. I was more curious about it now then when I had been younger, but it still made me very nervous to watch. It was almost as if watching them would unlock a secret knowledge deep inside me that I would never be able to forget and that I didn't feel I was ready for just yet.

I shook my head trying to focus back on the board. Alice hadn't moved a piece yet so I looked up at her. She was staring at me with the strangest expression. She seemed intensely excited about just watching me. It was making me uncomfortable.

"What?" I asked suddenly self-conscious.

She looked for a second more then pouted. "Oh nothing." She sounded vaguely disappointed. "My turn!" She said as she looked back at the board.

Twenty moves later I sighed as she yelled again. "Checkmate!"

I groaned and rested my head in my hand. How could she beat me every time? I was supposed to have a better chance against her than the others, and she still creamed me.

"You've been practicing with Jasper haven't you?" I accused.

Her grin was sheepish this time. "I couldn't let you beat me! It would have ruined my complete winning streak. Besides, I had to do something while you slept."

I smirked. "So you were worried?"

"Of course. Edward almost beats me when we play, even if he does cheat. You got some of his brains and I can't predict your moves." She shivered in fake fear. "It's almost scary how good you are."

I shrugged her complement away. I glanced back toward the many windows around the house. The stars were not visible with the almost constant cloud cover, but I could still tell it was late.

"It will be clear in four days." Alice said casually as I turned back toward her.

"Really? So, will Nessie and I have to go to school alone?" I questioned curiously.

"The wolves will come with you."

I tried not to roll my eyes at her. "But none of you will right?"

"No we cannot go." She said with a shake of her head. "Don't worry both Edward and I will be on alert."

"What makes you think I'm worried?" I asked her with a slight grin.

She shook her head. "Oh the joys of youth! So carefree, so foolish!"

"Yeah, yeah. You're even worse than Mom." I teased.

Her laugh rang through the house. "Surely not."

I was about to reply when I heard the knock at the door. I looked up to see Leah standing there. She was wearing one of the either Seth's or Jake's shirts with some shorts under it. It was obvious to me that she had just phased back.

Alice glanced over her shoulder with a grin. "Come to steal my Amun?"

Leah sighed obviously tired of arguing with Alice. "Can I come in, please?"

"Actually, I was ready to leave anyway." I said as I got up. Alice frowned at me.

"Aw, Amun, you're leaving?"

"Yeah, I'm tired of loosing." I said with one last glare towards the chess board.

Alice smiled. "Sleep well then."

I nodded to her then met Leah at the door.

"Your mom would prefer if we stayed indoors today." Leah said.

I shrugged. "That's fine. Wanna go to my room then?"

Leah smiled. "Sure."

The new house was in many ways similar to our old home back in Forks. It had a style of architecture that from my studies and Esme's explanations was made popular around the turn of the twentieth century. My favorite part had been the almost hidden third floor. It wasn't big, merely one room, probably originally an attic for storage, but under Esme's careful design, the room was now my personal escape. The walls had been completely replaced by the glass that my family loved. There was a spiral staircase in the corner that led to the roof. I would sometimes sit up there to relax. It wasn't as good as the trees, but it had a larger view. It was completely open to the forest's natural landscape; it was my haven.

I opened the glass panels to let in the sounds of the forest and moved to lie on my bed. Leah plopped down and joined me.

"How do you like it here?" She asked me after a couple minutes of peaceful silence.

I turned to look at her. She was sprawled on the bed, her face turned away from me. She was obviously taking in the forest like I had been. I closed my eyes for a moment to fully enjoy the scent wafting through my room.

"I have always enjoyed the forest." I replied.

"No, I meant here. Oregon is different than Washington." She said as the sheets shifted. I opened my eyes as I was now able to see her face.

"Not really. It's still green and cloudy. The only thing different is the name. Hamlet, Oregon or Forks, Washington." I shrugged. "They're not that different."

"You mean you don't miss Forks at all?" She asked.

I didn't really know if I missed Forks. My family was here with me, except for the human members, but I rarely got to see them anyway. Don't get me wrong, I loved my Grandfather Charlie and Grandmother Renee. It was just that my parents had explained to me that someday they would be gone. They were human and as such they would die. I hadn't understood that concept for a couple of years. What would it mean to die? To no longer exist? How would it feel to loose someone that you loved?

As I had come to realize that my human family would someday leave me, I had also realized it would be painful. My father had said once that he couldn't live without my mother. So as usual, those instincts I had been born with had kicked in. While Nessie had grown closer to our Grandparents, I had stayed back a little. I knew it would still hurt when they were gone, but I hoped maybe it would hurt less.

"I don't know. A little. Do you?" I asked as I looked into her eyes. She held my gaze for a moment before she turned back to the ceiling. Her eyes closed as a smile crept onto her face.

"I should miss it. The ocean, the Rez, my friends, the pack, my mom. I should miss them. Or at least that's what I think. But," she paused for a second as her eyes opened, "I don't. Not a single tie holds me to the past. I love my mom, but I don't miss her. Like I said before." She smirked at me. "Nothing else matters to me other than you."

I found myself unable to speak as those eyes filled with that almost venerable expression that sometimes found its way on to Leah's face. It reminded me of someone else. The memory was nagging at the back of my mind. I had seen these eyes before. They were soft and open and something else. What was it?

I was almost there. I could almost see the eyes that hers reminded me of when she punched me in the arm causing me to roll to the floor. I threw out my hands to catch my fall and glared at the wooden floors.

"Leah." I growled as my head peeked over the side of the bed back at her. Her laughter was complete. Her eyes crinkled shut, her hands holding her stomach, a smile planted on her face. She was beautiful, but I was still going to kick her ass. I smirked as I thought of the perfect revenge. I launched off the floor and landed on top of her. She lost her breath as my knee connected with her stomach my smirk still on my face.

"Why you-" She had to stop as my hands attacked her sides. Her eyes widened as she realized what I was doing. "No," she gasped as I found one of the few ticklish spots on her body. "Amun!" She laughed/gasped.

I gave her no relief instead continued my attack. After a round of almost ten minutes, tears were leaking down her face and her breathing had been reduced to short gasps between uncontrollable laughter. I gave her the relief she had asked for, but quickly grabbed her hands in case she wanted revenge. I knew I wasn't ticklish, but she could definitely do some damage with her fists alone. She glared up at me as I sat on her stomach. Her hands firmly clasped in my own.

"That was low." She finally said in a breathy voice.

"You're the one who pushed me off my bed. Who are you calling low?" I said with my eyebrow raised.

"That's different, you were totally spacing out." She gave a sly grin. "Your sister's right, you do daydream too much."

"Oh wonderful, now your agreeing with Nessie." I said with sigh.

She shrugged. "Well, she was right." She looked down at me and my seating arrangements. It was her turn to raise an eyebrow. "Mind getting off me now?"

"Depends. You going to try for revenge?" I questioned.

"Nah, the look on your face as I pushed you off the bed was classic. I'm good for tonight." She chuckled. I glared and stayed on her.

"Come on, Amun. It was funny." She tried. I wasn't buying it. She let out an exaggerated sigh. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry I pushed you off the bed. Will you please get off of me?" She said as she focused pleading eyes back on me. I had to give her credit though. As a part wolf, she had the puppy dog eyes down to an art. I had only seen better ones on Jake, but he was more of a puppy anyway.

I nodded and rolled off of her. "Now see, that wasn't too hard."

Leah jumped off the bed. "Yeah, yeah. Night, oh master tickler." She said with a wave from the door.

"Night." I called to her retreating form.

I stared after her for a few seconds enjoying my small victory before I quickly changed into my sleeping shorts and got into bed. It was only as sleep began to claim me that I remembered she had distracted me from my earlier musings. Strangely, when I tried to remember what her eyes had looked like, they were a burnt yellow - the same exact color as my vampire family instead of the dark eyes that I knew she had. My mind grew too fuzzy for me to think, and I drifted off to sleep.

The chirping of the early morning birds sounded closer than normal. I opened my eyes to see a few on them in my room. Still sleepy it took me a few minutes to realize I had left the windows opened the night before. I laughed at myself as I moved to get dressed for the day. I didn't mind that they were in my room. With the door closed, there was no way that they could bother anyone else. I wasn't sure if Esme would approve though, so before I left I quickly caught the birds and released them out the windows. I closed the glass panels to make sure they didn't return while I was gone for school.

I moved quickly to the kitchen where I knew I would find most of the family. Sure enough, the wolves had already started eating. I noticed my mother and father sitting at the table as well. Mom looked up and smiled as I entered the room.

"Good morning, EJ. How did you sleep?"

I smiled at her. "Morning. Good. How was your night?"

I saw Dad's answering grin and wondered why I had even asked. I didn't want to know what they did other than play music. Esme hadn't finished our separate house yet, so they had to stay the night here. My ears had picked up many things long before the conversation with Alice last night. I shook my head and muttered. "Never mind."

Mom gave me a sheepish smile in return.

Emmett bounded into the room with an exuberant atmosphere about him. I was puzzled for a moment before Jasper came in. He looked extremely moody. I sat down next to Mom as Alice came in to sooth Jasper.

"You finally won, Emmett?" Seth asked looking up from his massive breakfast.

"Hell yes!" He said as he high fived Seth.

"I never doubted you, Em." Rose said as she came into the room. She looked at my father expectantly. I heard him sigh.

"Alright. I'll get the new part in soon." He said as he shot a slight annoyed glance toward Jasper. "I never expected Em to get the best of you."

Jasper shrugged. "It was shear luck."

"Was not. I expected for those leaves to fall there." Emmett said.

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Sure you did."

Emmett grinned. "Wanna go again, then?"

Jasper's answering grin was almost feral. "I won't loose again, Em."

Emmett laughed completely unafraid. "Bring it on!"

"Boys," Grandmother said as she entered the room. Her eyes were twinkling. "It's time for school. You can rough house when you get home, alright?"

I almost panicked and had to cling to my barriers not to loose control and disappear. How was it already time for school? Leah smirked over at me. "Amun." She drawled. I glared at her. Why on earth did she always have to tease me about those damn human girls?

"What?" I growled.

"You better be ready. I heard the girls are going all out to see which one can snag you first."

I felt Mom's stone cold hand rest gently on my arm. "I'm so sorry, Amun."

"Can I please not go?" I begged her. I was way past pride at this point. I couldn't take those females.

Mom's sympathetic glance showed no signs of consent. "I'm sorry, but you have to practice for it to get any easier."

"Fine." I grumbled.

"Come on then, Amun." Nessie called from the door. From the massive amounts of curls encircling her head, Alice had been very busy this morning. No wonder they had both been absent for most of breakfast.

I got up and followed after my family reluctantly. I had to fight my instincts almost as hard as I had the first day when the parking lot came into view. Almost a dozen girls were standing around in the cold. Their eyes all trained at the cars passing by. I sunk lower in the seat as Jasper chuckled. I glared at him.

"HE'S HERE!" I heard one of the girls yell as the car found an empty parking space.

I opened the door to the car as quickly as possible hoping to get into school before I was mobbed. I was almost halfway there when they converged. The unnatural perfumes muddled my senses. Their high pulses seemed to echo in my ears. My instincts were going insane. I was breathing quickly trying to find the strength to fight off the extremely loud voice explaining a simple way to get rid of them. My fingers twitched as one of the girls touched my upper arm. I could almost feel my eyes dilating, my control slipping. They had to get away, but I knew if I touched them the mere contact would snap my tenuous control.

"Ladies." I heard my father's voice slice through the haze of my thoughts. His cold grip on my arm was something tangible and not delicious that I could focus on. As I did, he continued speaking. "I think my brother would like it better if you didn't touch him." I was sure if I could see his eyes they would definitely frighten me. "He finds forward women unattractive." Ouch. That was harsh even toward them. Well, on second thought, no, it was perfect.

I heard the huffs and sighs of disappointment as their feet moved quickly away from the vampire who had just confronted them. I looked up at my savior and father. He looked at me in almost complete understanding.

"Thank you." I murmured as my shoulders sagged.

"Don't worry. I think you'll get have a pleasant day today, but I can't guarantee tomorrow."

"One day is more than I expected. Thanks, Dad."

"Don't you mean brother?" He smiled as we started walking inside.

I shook my head. "Of course. Thanks, bro."

He smiled that crocked smile down at me. "Anytime, little brother." He said as he ruffled my hair.

Just as Dad had predicted, I almost enjoyed the rest of the day. None of my major fans latched onto me which in turn allowed me to focus on other things like the course work. I found that I actually liked school when the distractions were kept to a minimum. I was surprised when the day was over and I was climbing into the back of the Volvo. There was a smile firmly planted on my face. Mom noticed and smiled in relief.

"How was your day?" She asked.

"Wonderful." I said as I beamed at her. Nothing could ruin this day.

Soon after, I leaned my head back against what felt like the millionth tree. How many had Leah destroyed anyway? Far too many for my tastes. I sighed in frustration. I really disliked her habit of destroying nature. Otherwise, I really liked Leah. In some ways, I didn't know what would happen if I lost her like I could lose my human grandparents. I frowned at that. Loosing Leah would definitely hurt more than loosing others. My mind shut that thought out. It was impossible to think about. _I am beginning to see why my father said he couldn't live with out my mom. _I tensed. My eyes widened. Where had that come from? I didn't feel the same way about Leah that my father felt towards my mother. I didn't love, Leah. Not like that. Just because I would miss her if she died didn't mean I _loved_ her. I scowled at the ground. I didn't love her. So where the hell had that thought come from?

"How was your day?" I heard Leah say as she got onto my branch.

I glared at her. The almost constant rain had once again coated her hair to her body. It clung around her neck. My eyes followed the lines unconsciously before I slammed down the lock on those thoughts. Damn her hair and damn the weather. She was attractive, I enjoyed her company, but I did not love her. I did not love her.

I noticed her frown in my direction. I was still irritated by my stray thoughts. "You ok? I thought you had a good day today." She said curiously.

My eye twitched as I realized why my day had suddenly become far less pleasant. "Let's just fight." I snarled.

Her frown deepened. "What's bothering you?" She said as her hand moved to try and find a piece of my body. I felt my body reacting to her closeness. I snarl of frustration ripped through my throat.

Her hand stopped. "Amun, are you thirsty?" She said cautiously.

"No."

"Then what's bothering you?" She asked clearly frustrated.

I snorted. Did she really think I wanted to talk about it with her?

"If I wanted you to know, you would, Leah." I growled.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "So you want to fight? What good would that do?"

I chuckled without humor. "I just really want to pound something." I said as I pounced on her. Her eyes widened as she flew toward the ground. I had to jump away as I felt her body convulsing. She had phased before she hit the ground. Her eyes focused quickly on mine. She snarled in warning. I smirked.

"Alright, _wolf_, don't hold back." I taunted.

The second I finished my sentence I was on the offensive. I was strong. Right now, I really wanted to get rid of any positive thoughts of Leah. I wanted to get rid of the strange, unwanted feelings towards my long-time friend. I came at her with a kick to her face. She dodged easily but made no move to attack. What was she doing? I wanted a fight not this. This was not helping me. I growled at her in frustration. She returned it with the same warning growl. It irked me that she wouldn't fight, but I would make her fight. I was good enough. I kept my sharp fingers extended as a thrust at her body. I kicked when those didn't get through her defenses.

My frustration grew as I pushed my body to go quicker. I was getting closer to her speed. I knew it. There was a second where my fingers grazed her shoulder that she hesitated. I grinned as my leg came towards her side with as much force as I could manage. I felt it connect with her furry body and heard several cracks. She howled in pain as her body was launched backwards from the impact. Her paw hit my arm as she flew past me. I felt the searing pain tear through my body as something wet trickled down my arm in a steady stream. It wasn't the rain. My hand quickly grasped my shredded arm just as Leah's body connected with a sickening crash against a tree. The tree immediately imploded under the impact. Shards of it flying away like deadly needles.

With horror, I realized what I had just done. I had attacked Leah. This wasn't like our normal fights. She hadn't fought back. She had warned me to stop, yet I continued my assault. All she had done was defend herself. Self hate grew inside me. How could I have done that? I rushed over to her praying she was ok. I heard her breathing and let out a sigh of relief, but the short intakes of breath was too shallow to bring any type of comfort. Her heart beat was strong even though she had yet to move.

"Leah." I croaked as I touched her head, a serge of completely foreign emotions filling me up. Her body seemed to ripple under my touch. I blinked as her body imploded. The human Leah lay on her stomach in front of me. I quickly took off my shirt and was easily able not ignore how the rain fell onto her exposed back. I was too afraid to admire her. I was scarred to move her so I draped the shirt over her back so that all her female parts were covered. I heard her groan. Her eyes fluttered open.

I repressed my ability so that she could see me. "Leah." I pleaded with her, begging her to look at me. Her dark eyes found mine but quickly flitted over to my arm. I could barely feel the pain. I needed to know what I had done to her. I needed to know she was alright. "Can you speak?"

Her eyes stayed on my arm. "I hurt you." She seemed shocked.

"It's just a scratch. Leah, please tell me you'll be alright." I said as I tried to find something I could do for her.

She started to laugh, but flinched. "It's just a scratch? I can see your bone." She said incredulously. "You're going to need to feed. You're loosing too much blood." She coughed.

"Damn it, Leah. I don't care about me. What did I do to you? I heard the cracks." I was frantic. She was hurt but she wouldn't tell me what happened. I needed to know now.

She grinned through her obvious pain. "It was just a couple of ribs. I'll be fine soon. I heal quickly." She ended with a grimace.

"I'm getting Carlisle. Don't you dare try and move." I said as I raced back to the house. "CARLISLE!" I yelled as my feet raced across the forest back toward the house. Why had I chosen a tree so damn far away?

I had to stop running as I was beginning to feel dizzy. I thought I saw my father coming towards me with Carlisle and my mother behind him. My vision was too hazy for me to actually see.

"Amun," His voice called. "Take us to her. She's unconscious."

_Damn it_. I hated myself as I turned around and raced back the way I had come. In what felt like a second, I collapsed beside her covered body as my own forced me down, suddenly too heavy for me to support.

"What happened?" I heard my mother gasp.

"Leah's ribs. Carlisle, I hit her." I mumbled out knowing it was important for him to know what I had done as the darkness of my sleep claimed me.

"He's never slept this long before." I heard Grandmother's voice whisper just a little too loudly from her study. My eyes remained shut, but I was awake. I heard the pause before she spoke again. "Of course, Carlisle, I was just about to check on him again. It was a good thing you kept a couple of blood reserves in the house. Yes." She let out a low chuckle. "You shouldn't say those things, dear. Yes, I love you too." She paused. "His breathing has changed. I think he may be awake."

A moment later, I heard a soft knock at the door to my room. I forced my eyes to open, but she hadn't waited for me to allow her in. Grandmother's kind smile greeted me as she sat on my bed.

"How are you feeling, Amun?" She asked as she looked over my body quickly.

"How's Leah?" I asked instead. I felt fine. I just needed to know _now_.

The serene smile that Grandmother Esme often wore made me feel much better. Surely Leah wasn't severely hurt for her to be smiling. "She's at school. Carlisle was able to set the bones back in place. He felt they were mending quite nicely and thought it would be best for her to go to school. Now," she leaned closer, "how are you feeling?" Her kind eyes solely focused on my welfare.

I looked away from those forgiving eyes. Who could forgive me for what I had done? I was no better than the rogues. "Fine." I deadpanned.

"May I ask why you fought Leah? I promise I'll never think about it again." She coaxed. I felt my shoulders sagging. There was something so comforting about Grandmother. I felt as if she held all the answers even though I knew she couldn't.

"I, I was just frustrated." I said as I ran my hand through my hair in aggravation.

"What about?" She asked calmly.

I looked back at her cautiously. Should I tell her? I shook my head. It wasn't even important. It had just been one stupid thought. Her eyes seemed to go deep into my soul. I felt so exposed under her gaze. "I can keep a secret." She mock whispered with a smile.

I let out a frustrated breath. What the hell, why not? "It was stupid, Grandmother. I just had a very disturbing thought and took out my frustration on Leah." There, that was it without revealing anything actually important. I knew she knew I was editing, but she didn't press me for more information for which I was extremely grateful.

She patted my knee. I was startled at how different it felt than when Leah touched me. I shook my head. I didn't need to think about that again. "We all make mistakes. The important thing is to learn from them, don't you think?" She said.

I nodded. "So what time is it?" I asked as I looked out at the hazy sky.

"It is almost time for school to end." I looked up at her shocked.

"How long did I sleep?" I asked incredulously.

"Nearly three days." I choked. _Three days?!_ "You had us quite worried." She said as she moved to what I realized was a bandage on my arm. Her fingers made quick work of the cloth. She smiled down at my arm. The only evidence of the severe damage that had marred my arm yesterday was a set of three jagged scars running across it like bands.

"I thought it might be healed." She said with a smile. I flexed my arm and felt no difference in the muscle. Damn, that was cool. "Would you like me to drive you to the school?" Grandmother asked.

I nodded up at her. "Yes, please. I would like to apologize to Leah as soon as possible."

"I thought so." She said with a kind, knowing smile.

A couple of minutes later, I got out of Grandmother's car. After a quick thank you, I turned and headed towards the buildings. I noticed people were already leaving the doors. So, I began to look for my family.

"Time out!" I heard my mother's voice above the crowd seconds later. I moved closer to see what was going on. She usually didn't yell in public especially not at school.

"Aw, come on, Bella. It will be fine. I'll be there. And Seth and," I heard Jake saying as I came up. "Hey! Amun can come too. He can be all stealthy just in case."

Mom whipped around and hugged me quickly. "Oh thank goodness. I was so worried." She examined my arm. She sighed as she noticed it was completely healed. Her check of my injuries complete, she turned around to glare back at Jake. "There is no way I'm letting Nessie anywhere near that place."

"But, nothing's happened in awhile." Jake complained.

"Three days does not qualify as awhile, Jake." Mom said sternly as Dad walked up. He gave me a quick once over and smiled at me. I gave him one in return. For some reason, I knew Dad understood my feelings about hurting Leah even though he couldn't read my mind.

"Mom." I heard Nessie whine, drawling me attention back towards them. "ImeanBella!" She corrected quickly.

Mom turned to my father. "Edward, back me up here."

Dad was frowning. "I don't like it." He turned towards Jake. "I wouldn't think you would want to put her in such potential danger. We wouldn't be able to help."

Jake sighed. "I don't want to either, but Seth is suffering. It hurts him to be away as long as he is."

Mom turned towards a pleading Seth. "Please, Bella, we won't be there long. Besides, Jake and I can handle it if another vamp shows up. We wouldn't let anything hurt Nessie."

"What if it's the one that snuck up on Jake?" Dad countered.

"It won't happen again. Promise." Jake said.

Mom was wavering. I could tell. She hated for people to be in pain. She turned to me. "Amun would you please go with them."

"Where are we going?" I asked. I knew it was something important for vampires to be an issue.

"Clara Barton's house."

I blinked at her before I completely understood where she was talking about. "The human's house?" I asked.

Jake nodded. "She invited Seth, me, and Nessie over tomorrow. Bella, being a stick in the mud, won't let us go."

I frowned. "Tomorrow Alice said there will be sunlight. We would be on our own."

Seth came up to me then. "Please, Amun. I need to see her more than just at lunch." The look of shear need in his eyes convinced me that I didn't understand the imprint at all. It was painful just to look at him in such a vulnerable state. How much worse must it be for him to endure?

"I'll go." I conceded.

Dad looked at me. "It would probably be best if you went already cloaked. If the vampire's trace is already in her house you might loose control."

I nodded. "I can do that. Besides," I said with a grin, "I wasn't invited."

Nessie squealed in delight. "YES! Alright. I cannot _wait_ to tell Clara tomorrow that we can come." She turned back to Jake and Seth and began to plan what would happen. I turned my attention back to my father.

"Where is she?" I asked quietly.

"She's at her locker, stalling."

"Stalling?" I asked my heart plummeting. She didn't want to go home? Or did she just not want to see me. Why would she? My head dropped to the floor in defeat.

"Amun," Dad's voice got my attention. I met his piercing eyes. "She isn't mad at you. She just didn't want to be pulled into the argument about going to Clara's house."

I frowned. She wasn't mad? That was ridiculous. I dismissed his statement as I moved past my father quickly. I needed to apologize to Leah. Maybe then she wouldn't be mad at me. My footsteps down the empty halls seemed unusually loud. I heard the clash of metal connecting with metal and a sigh. I passed the wall obscuring Leah from my sight and stopped dead.

She was facing away from me but she had on a deep green shirt and a skirt that didn't seem to be her style at all. It hinted subtly to the outrageous price I knew it had have cost because I knew Alice had somehow dressed her. Nevertheless, I had never been happier for Alice's eccentrics. She looked fantastic. As she turned around, I saw the buttons that ran up the middle of the green v neck shirt drawling attention to her upper body in just the right ways. Her body language made me think she was unhappy. As she looked up though, her eyes met mine.

The instantaneous change in them was so unexpected I could merely stare at the now soft eyes. All the unhappiness I had seen disappeared the moment she locked eyes with me. She wore my favorite expression. Soft, happy, encompassing. And I didn't deserve any of it at all.

"You missed school." She accused before I could remember my apology. Her eyes flitted over to my arm. She frowned at it. "How's your arm?"

I rolled up my sleeve to show her the completely healed arm. "I'm healed. Listen, Leah, I-"

Her gasp had made me stop. She moved closer and touched my arm with her warm hands. Instantly, my body relaxed under her touch. I felt like I was developing an addiction to it. The longer I went without her touching me the more haywire my thoughts seemed to be. She traced the scars fervently. "I marked you. I'm so sorry." She whispered almost like she was in agony. I frowned down at her.

"It's a mark. Leah, I broke your ribs. I'm the one who should be apologizing. I was going to before you distracted me." I said a little irritated. She had nothing to be upset about. "By the way, why are you in an obviously Alice skirt?" I queried not at all upset about the change.

She glared at me then. "Oh that's right. I couldn't really move my arms to put on any of my clothes, jeans included, so Alice took it as an opportunity to dress me up again. Thanks a lot."

She couldn't move her arms. Damn it. I had thought I couldn't hate myself anymore, but she had just proved me wrong. I noticed the book bag hanging off her arm and quickly moved it to mine. It was the least I could do. "I'm sorry. When will you be better?" I asked.

"A couple of days. It wasn't all that serious. Don't worry. My bones just take a little longer to heal than flesh wounds." She said as her hands came off my arm. My arm seemed to follow after them wishing for the contact to remain. I felt oddly off without the slight pressure there. I almost put her hands back on my arm before I realize exactly what I was thinking about doing. I let out a frustrated breath.

"Ready to go?" I asked her to try and focus something else.

"Yes, did you hear about Seth visiting Clara's house?" She asked as we moved towards the door.

I nodded. "I'm going too."

She froze causing me look back at her confused. "Sorry." She said as she caught up to me. "I think I should go too then." She said.

"No way! You're injured." I said. When she opened her mouth to argue, I continued. "You know no one will let you go."

She paused then huffed knowing I was right. "Fine, but are you going to be visible?"

"No. Technically, I wasn't invited. I'll be cloaked just in case something happens." I explained.

She smiled obviously happy that I would not be visible. "Ok, then."

We had reached the wolves' car by then and saw them waiting for us.

"What took you so long?" Jake asked.

"Nothing. We were just talking." Leah said as she opened the passenger door. I deposited the book bag in the back before getting into the car as well. Seth sat beside me.

"You excited about tomorrow?" I asked him with a grin. I could already predict his response. He didn't disappoint.

His massive grin seemed like it would split his face. His eyes lighted with excitement. "Yeah, man. I can't wait to see her house. You know she said it was really big. That her adopted father was rich from a trading industry he owned. I hope I can meet him too. I want to make a good first impression, ya know?" I burst out laughing and he paused. "What?" He said with a frown.

"Nothing." I said with a smile. I couldn't tell him that he looked like a puppy that just got a new tennis ball as a present. I was sure he wouldn't appreciate the comparison. But it fit him so well. He looked just like an overly excited puppy. It wasn't bad or at least it was what I had come to expect from Seth. He was younger than the rest of the wolves and sometimes it showed in how he acted. Especially when he got excited.

Leah looked back with her normal grin. "Aw, Seth, you're so cute."

"So, Clara likes cute." He said with folded arms and downcast eyes.

Leah and I looked at each other and lost it again. Both of us bursting out into laughter. Seth seemed to crumple further into the seat clearly upset.

"Don't worry about it, Seth." Jake said from the driver's seat. "Their just having one of their lovey moments." He said as he fluttered his eyelashes.

Seth barked out laughter as Leah shoved his arm much more delicately than usual. It made me flinch to think that it was because she couldn't hit him harder. I sighed annoyed at myself again as we pulled into the yard. I saw Dad sitting on the front steps lightly tossing an apple in his hands. I caught his eyes and nodded fully understanding what I would be doing until I needed sleep. _Or get knocked out._ I thought wryly.

As I stepped out of the car, I waved goodbye to the wolves. Leah frowned at me and caught my arm. I felt the tingles of warmth where we were connected. I let out a soft sigh of contentment too low for even her sensitive ears. She moved around and looked at me seriously. "Don't push yourself too hard." She demanded.

"Yes, mother." I said with a smirk towards her.

She pinched my arm in response. Her eyes filled with mischief. I chuckled at her, and she slapped my arm. "I think you have me confused with someone else."

"Yes, my apologies. That must be it."

She mock glared at me. "Just don't to it again and remember what I said."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, ma'am." I replied dutifully as I ran off in search of my father's trail. I followed it as it connected with Jasper's scent. They lead back to the same clearing we had used for the first lesson. Both of them were waiting for me.

"That was a fairly impressive hit you managed to land on Leah." Jasper said as he moved closer to me. Dad threw the apple at me. I grimaced.

"I shouldn't have done that Jasper." I said with a frown as I caught the apple.

"Oh, I know. But you do realize that Leah is just as fast as your father right?" He asked. I frowned and looked towards my dad only to see him nod in assent. I guess I had never noticed. _Damn, I must be getting faster._

"Same rules. Good luck." Dad said getting quickly down to business.

I cloaked myself immediately and tried to feel the extra pulse that had pushed my power out the last time. I could only focus on it with half of my brain. The other half was extremely busy dogging Jasper's attacks coming in the direction of the floating apple and by extension me. It took a couple of minutes for me to find the pulse that controlled my ability. It took a couple more for me to find out how to make it pulse harder. I focused completely on making a stronger pulse for a second and my eyes picked up a red flicker. I grinned. It was working.

I saw Jasper's leg coming in the direction of my head just in time to prepare for the blow, but not enough to dodge. As my arm went on the defensive, I kept on urging the pulse to be stronger. I felt it deep inside of me almost in time with my heartbeats. His leg connected with my blocking hand just as I felt the stronger beat.

BA_BUMP - the apple disappeared.

Ba-bump - the apple flickered back. I concentrated harder.

BA_BUMP – Gone.

BA_BUMP – still gone.

I dodged to the right as Jasper's hand came towards where the apple had been moments ago. I grinned as stronger and steadier pulses followed after each other. I had done it. It was cloaked!

Jasper froze in the middle of the clearing, his eyes scanning everywhere. I moved slowly so that I was in his bind spot behind his left eye. I had had a lot of practice with keeping parts of my mind under control, but this different than suppressing it. Each time it pulsed, I had to push it to be stronger. It was easier now that the pulses were coming at a lower frequency - my instincts under more control, but it was still straining. My mind was tiring not used to the extra work. I was loosing control. As I lost the focus I need to keep the pulse stronger, I lost control of my instincts. The pulses came quicker. My fatigued mind couldn't keep up with the sudden increase.

BA_BUMP

Ba-bump. The apple flickered into existence and Jasper flew towards me a second later. Ba-bump. The next pulse came too quickly for me to get control. The apple a beacon to Jasper's claws. I focused my mind completely. Half on the next pulse, half on dodging Jasper. BA_BUMP. YES! I vaulted to the side as Jasper's claw grazed my shoulder.

Dad grinned. "Ok. You can take a break."

I dropped my hands to my knees as I gasped for air, the apple rolling onto the soft grass. Damn, that was hard. I hoped he didn't expect for me to repress my abilities right now because I was too mentally fatigued.

"Have you figured out how it works?" My dad asked the apple curiously.

"Yeah. My ability pulses. I just have to make each pulse stronger and it covers more."

"Each pulse individually?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah."

"What made you loose control?" Dad asked.

"They come closer together when my instincts got out of my control. It's way harder then." I answered.

They both nodded. I collapsed onto the wonderfully scented ground.

"Rest for a couple of minutes, and we will go again." Dad said as he tossed another apple towards the one I had been using. "This time try to cloak two."

I sighed. They were slave drivers, I thought as I prepared myself for more work. What felt like a year later, I felt Jasper's hand connect with my shoulder. I growled frustrated that I hadn't been quick enough to avoid it. I had been tiring from the tag that had been going on almost constantly after my first successful exercise. Dad looked at a watch on his wrist. I paused hopefully as Jasper turned to look at him.

"Do you think that's enough for tonight?" He asked my dad.

"Yeah, I think so." Dad said with a smile towards the sack of nearly twenty apples dangling in the air. "You're free for tonight. You did well, Amun." He praised.

"Thanks." I said as a whoosh of air passed through my lungs.

I dropped the apples to the ground and high tailed it back to the house. I needed a bath before I passed out from mental exhaustion. The shower finished, I dressed for bed and collapsed on my bed.

I woke up to a surprisingly dark room. The absence of the normal morning birds confused me. I looked up at the unusually clear night sky to see millions of stars twinkling back at me. A second later I realized why I had woken up so early. I was famished. The blood Carlisle had given me must not have been enough with the extra activity I did today. I opened a window and prayed something substantial would be up this late at night. I quickly moved through the trees searching for a sign of life that could sustain me. A human would be in huge trouble if I came upon one right now.

I traveled south towards an area most humans didn't camp in. My acute sense of smell picked up a fairly fresh fox trail. I followed it quickly only to stop dead in my tracks as my sensitive nose picked up something defiantly not edible. That flightily vampire scent was here. I took a step more to see if I could smell if it was recent only to have my senses panic as I recognized a second vampire's scent.

_Case!_

Just before I let my instincts cover me, I heard the light steps of a vampire move into my visual range. I couldn't let them know my ability until it was completely necessary. I tensed as I recognized the lurid red tips of Case's hair. At least this was a known vampire.

He frowned at me as if unhappy by who he had found. Then almost as if he noticed something, a Cheshire grin split his face. He stepped closer. In the moonlight so rare in the forest, I saw his eyes. His pupils were so dilated that only a thin red ring provided proof of his choice. My instincts screamed the obvious to me. Case was very dangerous right now. He hadn't fed.

"You want to know something interesting, Amun?" He asked as he started to circle me. I followed him but didn't dare answer worried I would set him off. His reassuring smile did nothing to relieve my fears. "You carry no scent. Very unusual, isn't it?"

I was confused by his question. Maybe my power was weird, but at least I didn't set things on fire. Leah had commented once that I didn't smell; so, I was very aware of the fact. She said it was a nice break from the vampires. Somehow I didn't think he was thinking the same thing.

His grin turned feral. "It makes me wonder if you blood has a scent too." My eyes widened. _Shit! This is not good._ "Let's find out." He added as he launched towards me, his razor sharp teeth glinting strangely beautifully in the moonlight.

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Ok! That is the end of that chapter! *evil grin* I know it was mean to have a cliffhanger, but I need to keep my readers. So, have no fear. The next chapter will not be long in the making - its already planned out. Just in case you can't wait here is a preview for you! Enjoy and review please.

6 ~ Changing Focus

"Oh, Amun!" I heard the extremely vapid Charlotte exclaim as she threw her arms around me. I was very pleased at how easily I was able to mute the voice telling me to bend down and suck on her neck. I guessed that my ridiculously strenuous training was paying off in more ways than one. Since I could think properly, I smelt the salty fluid that was leaking from her eyes. Tears? Why was she crying?

I personally didn't like her, but some human part of me still didn't want her crying on my chest. "Are you ok?" I asked her.

Her blood shot eyes looked up at me pitifully. She was very unattractive at the moment. I thought with an internal sigh. "It's my Aunt." She said as she wailed again.

"Is she ok?" I asked confused.

Her franticly shaking head told me that she wasn't. Had she lost someone close to her? I severely hoped that this was not what happened to me if I lost a family member.

"No." Her voice was for the first time in her life quite. "She's gone, Amun."

"Gone? Where did she go?" I asked confused. Hoping this would get her to let go of me.

She looked bewildered. "She went to work. She never came home."

"Are you sure she's hurt? She could have just left."

"No, her co-workers said she went out for coffee," her lower lip trembled, "and didn't come back."

I frowned. "Were did she work?"

"She worked in Seaside. She was such a nice person too. Now she's missing."

I had frozen when the town's name passed through Charlotte's painted lips. I could hear my father's voice in my head.

"_Alice's visions are never wrong. He indulged in Seaside and fled north." He said wearily._

I knew what Case had done; I understood that a human had been killed. But seeing the consequences of his choice first hand wasn't something I could have anticipated. If I had ever doubted my family's choice, I didn't now. Case was truly a monster.


	7. 6: Changing Focus

AN: Well, I'm not sure what to say. I was going to make this one shorter, and I guess it is a little shorter, but dang! I didn't expect this chapter to fold out quite like this. I want to have you input on it too. But, I don't want to ruin the chapter by giving too mcuh away, so I'll ask again at the end. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I think I replied to you all, if i missed you please let me know so that I can thank you properly. So, with no further adu, please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the plot, character, or themes of the Twilight Saga. Those belong soley to Mrs. Meyer who is very kind to let us fanatic use her amazing characters.

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6 ~ Changing Focus

It took less than a half a second for me to remove all the barriers that had been keeping me visible. I moved quickly up into the trees, just as his body landed where mine had just been. I understood that now Case knew what my ability was and exactly how complete my cloaking could be, but at this point I was happy to have my life and blood still intact.

My eyes were trained down at the back of the vampire that had tried to suck me dry. I held absolutely no favor for him now. All the silent warnings that my instincts had been giving off I knew were right. Case was not like us. He possessed none of the human traits that my family possessed. He was held to different standards.

He turned around so that I was able to see his face. It was set in an exhilarated grin. What was his problem? Did he get some sort of thrill from trying to take my blood? Was he like that tracker that had tried to kill my mother? _How sick_. I looked with disgust at the vampire below me, but made no move to attack him. I didn't know if his power could affect me if I was cloaked and didn't want to find out. In fact, I didn't even want to stay here any longer. I jumped out of the tree and was about to head home, when he laughed. That was what made me pause; it was the same as the childlike laugh he had produced earlier. It didn't seem demonic like I had pictured.

"Damn, that really is a cool gift." He chuckled. "Hey, kid, you still there or did you leave?" His tone no where near the feral sounds he had been making moments ago.

I turned around to look back at the vampire, confused. His eyes though still displaying his thirst seemed more like Emmett's eyes after a good fight. He didn't look hostile only pleased and slightly disappointed probably because I hadn't answered.

"Man, kid must have left." He shook his head. A hand moved to scratch the back of his head. "I guess I always did overdue the whole scary factor."

I was just about to ask him what the hell his problem was when a blur flashed past me and pinned Case to the tree. I stared wide eyed at the tiny form of Alice holding Case's neck to the tree. The tree groaning under the force that had been pushed against it.

The growl that ripped through her throat was unlike any sound I had ever heard from her. Vicious, deadly. "How dare you." She hissed rage flying off her pixie body.

Case looked a little nervous from my position. His hands were held out in a gesture of surrender. "Now, now, Alice." He pleaded a little shakily. "I wasn't going to hurt him, honest."

The high laughter that echoed through the clearing made my hair stand up on its neck. "Have you forgotten my gifts, Case? I could see your entire course of action, and you have the nerve to tell me you weren't going to bite my only nephew?"

"Aw, come on, Alice. I just wanted to see his gifts in action. Besides, you know guys aren't my type." He said with a grin. Her answering hiss was cut off.

"Alice," I heard my father's deep voice as he entered the clearing with Jasper trailing right behind him. "He's telling the truth. Regrettably, I can't let you kill him."

Alice looked back at my father incredulously, but backed away to rejoin Jasper. "Did you hear his thoughts when he _attacked_ your _son_?" She asked.

Dad narrowed his eyes at a very unhappy looking Case. "No. This is too far south; I north feeding. My mind was not focused." He turned with a wry smile back to Case. "No, Case, I don't think that would help your cause."

Jasper looked at Alice. "Do you know where Amun went?" Even I could feel the waves of calm he was trying to feed into Alice.

She shook her head. "No, he was gone when I got here."

I chose that moment to make myself known to my family. I appeared beside my father's elbow. I saw Case's eyes widen before he smiled.

"Dude! That is so awesome." He moved to take a step towards me, but stopped as Jasper hissed in warning.

Case sighed. "Jazz, you know I wouldn't hurt your family. I didn't know of any other way to get him to use his power, and I was so psyched to see it too." He looked at my father in what I assumed was a plea to back him up.

Dad nodded. "However, if you ever attack my family no matter what the reason, I will make sure you join all the others who have tried and failed." His voice low, ice cold, and laced with more venom then I had ever heard.

"Right. Promise." Case said. He gave apologetic smile my way. "Sorry, Amun," his smile turned into more of a grin, "but it was totally worth it." He backed up at the growl that echoed from my father's chest. Case rolled his eyes before he disappeared back the way he had come. "Later, alligators."

I turned back towards my father and saw a very unhappy looking vampire.

"Amun," He said with a sigh.

"Sorry," I said quickly knowing that I had obviously done something wrong. It dawned on me now that I should have brought one of them with me, because despite my ability I was truly no match for a vampire alone. The best choice would have been to flee.

Dad's tension seemed to leave him. He looked slightly pained. "I know you can take care of yourself, but it would make all of us feel much better if you didn't feed alone." I knew he meant Mom and him. I nodded feeling very reprimanded. I looked around my dad towards the being who was supposed to be Alice. I had hardly recognized her moments ago.

"Alice?" I asked.

She beamed up at me. I looked at her cautiously for a second. "Yes?" She questioned blinking her eyes excessively. Her voice back to the high tones I was used to. So it really was Alice.

"Remind me never to get on your bad side." I muttered.

She beamed at me with far too much excitement. I frowned. _Why is she smiling like that? Oh crap._ I should have just kept my mouth shut. "Does that mean I can redo you closet. You really do need some new clothes. How many times have you worn those jeans? Not that they don't fit you well, but" she shook her head, "any thing more than three wears is far to used."

She draped her arm through the crook at my elbow and started walking me back towards the house at human speed. I looked back at my father and Jasper for help. Jasper grinned.

"Think of this as punishment." He said his southern accent thicker than normal. I frowned back at them. They were leaving me to Alice? That was far worse than punishment.

"Oh, Alice, make sure he feeds before you get back." My dad reminded her.

"Will do!" She replied as they blurred away. She turned her brightened eyes back to me. "Now about your jeans…"

It took hours to get back to the house. I had never been so annoyed at Alice. Who knew you could talk about shoes for nearly three hours and not woman's shoes, _men's_ shoes. I honestly wasn't even sure I was awake anymore. I did notice when the house came into view again.

"…no, I don't think you would need any driving shoes. Not that you can't drive. I think you did very well bringing the wolves' car back home, but I don't think your father would appreciate me getting you shoes before he gets you a car." My mind was so blank; I wasn't even registering what Alice was saying to me. There were just words, lulling me to sleep-like state. "Amun, Amun, are you even listening to me?"

I felt a very hard punch on my arm. I blinked out of my stupor and looked down at Alice. She was frowning at me. My mind was frantic to come up with reply. She had obviously asked me something. "Um, sure, sure. I-I agree?"

She sighed in silent suffering. "Amun, you should always pay attention when a woman speaks to you."

Irritation filled my voice as I replied. "Alice, I did for the first hour you talked about my jeans. I'm sorry if after three hours talking about shoes, I slip up." I said as I rolled my eyes.

"I will forgive you, only if I can have one favor."

I looked at her suspiciously. She gave me her innocent smile in return. Yup, she was definitely up to something.

"What would happen if I didn't?" The still smiling Alice growled that hair raising sound that made my instincts go insane. "Ok, ok! Fine." I sighed. There was no way I wanted to face a pissed off Alice.

"Great! Oh by the way. I think that Leah wants to have a word with you."

I frowned at her. "What-" I was forced to stop talking as a large furry body collided with me. "Oof!" I collided with the ground, hard.

I looked up at the wolf that was currently keeping me pinned to the ground. "Leah, get off." I said while trying to push her off. It was fruitless. "Alice, please help me." I said as I tried to look around Leah's limbs. I growled in frustration as I realized that Alice had already left.

I looked back towards the eyes of the female wolf. She looked very frustrated. "Do you have any clothes?" Her head nodded swiftly. I saw a blue scrap of fabric on her leg. "I will close my eyes if you will please phase. And you shouldn't be doing that with your injuries."

She narrowed her eyes, huffed in my face, but nodded. I made a big deal of closing my eyes and even putting a hand over them. I felt her trembling before her warm hands landed on my chest.

"Alright, I'm dressed." She snapped.

I tentatively lowered the hand covering my arm and met the angry gaze of a female wolf. She was sitting on my stomach wearing another of those oversized T-shirts. I assumed she had the shorts on too, but I couldn't see them. The T-shirt was huge. So, huge in fact that it was falling off her left shoulder leaving her collar bone exposed. I found myself staring at that spot wondering if it was really as smooth as it looked. And slightly confused as to how a wolf's body could seem so soft. I noticed one of her veins pulsing extra fast along her neck probably from her run. Regardless, my own pulse heightened.

"Amun." She began as if she was about to lecture her brother.

I looked startled back towards her stubborn face. Why was I so conscious of her body? Like her lower lip that I noticed was slightly bigger than the top. When she pouted at me, it was begging me for attention. My mouth went dry. My stomach was tingling under her slight pressure. My hands itched to move her own hands back to my chest where they had been before, instead of folded defiantly across her chest. Her chest. I almost groaned aloud. My mind was going insane.

"Amun!" She said slight annoyed. I barely heard her.

Part of my mind was telling me I didn't want to touch her more, that I didn't want her to come closer. Why? Why did a part of me keep lying? Suddenly, I didn't understand why I had ever wanted to push her away. It was if a veil had been pushed back. As if I finally realized that my key had always been in place. Since the day I had met her, my heart had changed. I couldn't deny how much I needed Leah. I had never denied that. I didn't know what I would do without her. So what did it matter anymore? Her closeness was breaking through my mental denials.

The huge shirt slipped down her shoulder a little more and showed the burses left from where I had hurt her. I would make it up to her. She didn't deserve that kind of treatment. I would show her how sorry I was to have hurt her. That defiant voice returned. No, I didn't love her. I didn't want to be vulnerable. My instincts were trying to reject what I knew was the truth. If I showed her how much she meant to me, couldn't she leave? She could reject it all. Oh it would hurt. It would kill me almost as bad as if she died, maybe more.

My mind refused to let me be hurt. Anything that could be a possible threat had to go. So, I could just keep it to myself. I could just not take the risk. But was Leah a threat? How could she be a threat? The wolves had always been near us and Leah was the first being I saw after birth. But, wasn't this different? If I told her what I had just been thinking about her, wouldn't she just hit me like she always did? Reject it? She didn't feel like I did for her. She had never let on that she had.

My eyes refocused on Leah's. Her eyes looked back at me confused and more than a little pissed, but I saw something else flicker in them. My eyes widened as I began to understand what that vulnerable expression had always meant, what I had been too stupid to notice.

"Leah?" I asked startled. I couldn't believe what I had been missing. How could I not have noticed what everything meant?

She shook her head and growled at me. "Your stupid, stupid boy! How could you go off like that with Case on the loose?" She took a deep gathering breath. "Do you have any idea-" she stopped as if she was about to say too much.

"What Leah?" I pressed. She looked away clearly upset about something. I hated it when she did that. I wanted to see her eyes and confirm what I just realized. I lightly grabbed her chin careful not to hurt her and turned it back towards me. I smelt the salt of her tears before I saw her face.

Her eyes finally met mine in a look of utter humiliation. I knew she hated the tears that were trying to leak over and betray her feelings. After all, if I was right, she had been hiding them for a long time. She took in a raspy breath as it seemed like she tried and will the tears away. She hated seeming so vulnerable, but I wondered if she realized that her eyes gave her away at other times as well. Her eyes that I finally understood mimicked my mother's. I realized what Leah had been reminding me of lately. The vulnerable look that I loved in her eyes when she looked at me was identical as the one that graced my mother face when she looked at my father.

"What Leah?" I asked again.

She growled frustrated and then exploded at me. "Do you have any idea how worried I was when your mother came to the house saying that Case was going to bite you?!" She said as the tears finally leaked over. I wondered what had caused this change in her. She usually was so good at control and never emotional. Then again, I knew what had caused the change.

"Leah?" I asked slyly. I knew her secret now. I think I understood why my father would growl at her too. That thought almost made me snicker.

"What?" She snapped as she wiped away the offending tears harshly.

"Have you been holding out on me?" I teased knowing she had no idea what I was talking about.

"What's wrong with you?" She said as she looked down at me. Clearly confused.

There was no voice telling me to stop what I was going to tell her. I didn't doubt her any more. I never should have. Geez, it had been me who took forever to realize the truth. Why it had always been easier to stay visible when she was around, why when I needed someone she was always there, how she could always test my patience. It was so simple. I took a deep breath and prayed that my overactive heart rate wouldn't affect my voice. I didn't want to quiver as I told her this. Damn, how could it be so hard?

"I love you." I said plainly. Thanking who ever had been listening that my voice didn't shake.

Leah's eyes widened visibly, and she didn't move for a couple of seconds. Then as if she was loosing her balance, she put her hands on my chest to stabilize herself. I raised an eyebrow at her. She was acting even more off than normal.

"Leah?" I questioned slowly.

She blinked down at me. "What did you say?" She asked barely above a whisper, but I could hear her quite plainly.

I smirked. I very much enjoyed seeing Leah so flustered. It was fun. "I love you." I said again.

She jumped off me and started backing away. I frowned and sat up on my elbows to look at her better. "Leah?"

"Don't joke like that, Amun. It isn't funny." She said as she stared at me.

I frowned. "I'm not joking, Leah." I said as I got up.

"Damn it, Amun. Quit." She trembled out.

I ran a hand through my hair. I was frustrated. "Leah." I growled at her. I looked back up at her and noticed that the rain had started up again. Much, much harder than usual. My breathing hitched, my body tensed as I took her in. The rain had soaked her T-shirt to her skin. Her hair glistening with the moisture.

"Amun," she said shakily.

Damn it, did she have any idea what she was doing to me? Apparently not. I couldn't take it any more. If she would believe my words, I would just show it to her. I knew she felt the same way. I just didn't know why she wouldn't accept it.

Before she could get away, I pinned her to the tree she had been backing towards unconsciously. She looked up at me wide eyed. Her lips parted, and for the first time ever, I lost control with Leah. My lips dipped down to finally caress that wicked lower lip of hers. I moved slowly and sensually across them, trying to get her to see what I had said was true. After a second, she responded back to me. I felt almost light headed on the high. She had accepted me.

Soon the kiss turned hotter, she gasped into my mouth. Her body melded against mine almost as if she wanted to join her body forever with my own. I had no objections. Unfortunately, both of us had to draw for breath. I took in quick breaths trying to regain my breath as my forehead rested against her own. Leah looked up at me incredulously.

"You love me." She stated as if she still doubted it slightly.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Took you long enough."

She grinned at me and slapped my arm. "Who are you talking to? It took me long enough? Do you know how long I've," she bit her tongue and stopped.

I smirked. "Cradle robber."

"Oh ha, ha." She said sarcastically, but I could see no anger in her eyes, just bemused happiness.

"Well?" I asked.

"What?"

"Have anything to say to me?" I asked. For a second, I was self-conscious. But it was gone quickly as she moved her hands up my chest sending visible shivers across my body. She was going to have to stop doing that or I might attack her. They traveled to the back of my neck, knotted in my hair, and pulled hard.

"Ow."

"Big baby." She smirked as she pulled my head closer to her lips. I wasn't going to refuse her. Not when I finally had permission to kiss those lips of hers. When I just could feel her breath brushing against my lips, she looked deep into my eyes. I could see my own reflected in their depths. I grinned as my own eyes proclaimed the truth of my words to her just as she did with me. "I love you." She finally said. Her lips brushed mine then. I pushed her closer to the tree as she kissed all rational thought from my head.

"A-hem." I heard someone say from beside us. Unhappily, I parted my lips from Leah's and turned towards the person who had interrupted us, though my arms stayed wrapped around her waist. I wasn't letting go of her so soon.

"Yes, Mom. Dad?" I said to both of my parents. Mom was smiling at me but quickly cleared her throat and tried to glare at us; sadly it wasn't very convincing. My father was too busy glaring towards Leah to notice. Or if he had noticed her thoughts he ignored them. I guessed it had been Leah's thoughts that had given us away. I almost smirked at what that meant. His scowl turned to me next.

"Amun, do you really want me to sick Alice on you twice in one night?" He threatened.

I sighed. It was almost worth it if I could stay here with Leah. But, I still needed more sleep if I was going to be at Clara's house tomorrow. I gave Leah a caste kiss on her forehead before releasing my grasp on her body.

"No, Dad. I'm going." I said as I fled from him.

"Leah." I heard him growl as I raced away. I paused and cloaked myself before turning back. A wicked grin on my face. I knew Leah would notice my return, but hoped she could keep her thoughts clean.

"Edward. We all knew it would happen." Mom said with a happy sigh. "Oh, Leah! Who-" It was then that I kissed Leah's neck. That same spot that had been tempting me since I had first seen her.

"Amun go to the house!" My dad exclaimed in frustration.

Mom looked at him confused before she smiled widely. Leah sighed. I chuckled as I kissed her one final time. We would definitely need to work on her mental skills. I then headed back to my bed for a little sleep before school started.

I woke up a little earlier than I was used to and headed into the kitchen. As I walked in I realized why my body had gotten me up sooner. Leah's back was to me as she was busy over the stove cooking. I remembered that morning not long ago when she told me she always got up this early to fix breakfast. I knew that now I too would be awake that early just so I could spend a little more time with her. Preferably alone.

"Morning." She said as she turned towards me. I sighed. I could never sneak up on them. Damn super senses.

"Morning." I said as I thought about what to do with this extra time alone. "Is breakfast finished?" I asked hoping I could touch her again.

She shook her head but I still moved closer. As she finished with the bacon, I contented myself with wrapping my arms around her waist. I felt so much lighter with her touch. I felt more confident. I didn't know why she affected me this way, but I could definitely get used to it. She was wearing a scoop neck shirt that left a little of her neck exposed.

My lips found her soft skin causing her to jump a little. Her scent was flooding my senses. She smelt of the earth, of the forest, and I loved it. I drank it in as I continued to touch her soft flesh. She shuddered as I reached the spot where her neck and shoulder connected. I smirked into her skin.

"Amun. You can't do that." She said way too breathily for it to actually make me stop. I chuckled at how much I could influence her.

"Why?" I asked as I feathered kissed on her neck again.

"I can't," she gasped as my fingers moved across her stomach. I had wanted to do this for so long.

"Amun, please step away from Leah." My father's authoritative voice ordered.

"Keep my thoughts straight." Leah finished clearly upset as she sagged against me. I frowned but released my hold on her and moved to sit against the counter still close enough for her scent to roll over me in delicious waves. I sighed as Mom walked in too.

"Edward. Really, aren't you being too strict?" Mom asked.

Dad narrowed his eyes in Leah's direction. "No. I don't think so."

"Mom, can't you do something?" I asked her knowing she was on our side.

She smiled sadly at me and shook her head. "You know how stubborn your father can be."

"Since it appears that neither of you can control yourselves, I think we will need to set up some rules." Dad began in a voice I knew would not be negotiable.

I sagged against the counter. What was I? Four? "Dad-"

"There will be no consummating of the relationship until you, Amun, are at least ten. That includes your previous endeavors on her neck and lips." He decreed.

"Ten?!" Leah and I shouted at the same time my eyes widening towards my father. I looked over at Leah and saw her glance quickly my way with a stricken look on her face before she furrowed her eyebrows and pretended to focus on not burning the bacon. She was beyond frustrated. Well she wasn't the only one. I couldn't even kiss Leah now!

"Honestly, Edward, don't you think-?" Mom asked gently.

"No," he said curtly, "by that time, any human hormones that are in his system will have cooled down." He said as he looked towards me.

"I'm not human, Dad." I growled for the hundredth time.

"No, but you are half and some part of you is being ruled by those hormones. My decision is final." He finished.

"That's so long." Leah grumbled at the bacon.

"Its only two years." Dad disagreed.

Depression started to sink in. How the hell could I wait two years? My hands were itching already to touch her hot skin, and it had only been minutes since I had last touched her. I glared at my father. This was way past the torture of having to listen to Alice for hours on end.

"Jake has been given the same rules, and he didn't ague." Dad looked towards Leah.

"Well, of course he didn't, Nessie hasn't even figured out what she thinks about him yet." Leah countered. "Big deal to wait for something that he can't even have now." She grumbled again.

"You two will also not travel beyond five miles of the house alone." Dad continued on his ridiculous list.

"Geez, Dad, a little trust?" I asked fully annoyed at him. Any plans I had been formulating were just crushed.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "I walked into the kitchen to see you attached to her neck, and you want me to trust you?"

"You know you only came because of Leah's thoughts." I fired back.

"Boys." Mom said in the warning tones she sometimes used with Jake. "No fighting." She looked back at me with pleading eyes. "EJ, your father's rules are for the best. Please accept them."

I glared at my father's unreadable, stone cold expression one last time feeling shackled. There was no way I would survive defying him. I glared down at the floor before answering.

"Fine. But after I turn ten, no more rules."

Dad nodded. Mom sighed in relief. Leah was still glaring at the now burning bacon, clearing lost in thought. Several tense minutes later, the rest of the family showed up for breakfast. Everyone seemed to notice the charged atmosphere, but only Emmett had the courage to ask.

"Damn, what happened? Did someone die?" He asked.

Rose smirked. "No, Amun and Leah are sulking." I glared at her. Damn her nasty habit of eavesdropping. _Just damn everything and be done with it!_

"Why?" Esme asked clearly disappointed that everyone was not happy.

"Edward won't let them-"

"Rose," Leah growled trying to shut her up.

Emmett took one look at Leah before bursting out laughing. His laughter broke the mood, but didn't get rid of my annoyance. "Damn, Edward, your really being a parent. Just let them be, its going to happen sooner or later." He grinned wolfishly towards me. I smirked. It sure as hell would.

Mom and Alice sighed in double disappointment. "Edward, I can't dress Leah up for dates now." Alice wailed in frustration.

Dad said nothing. Of course, the unmovable rock that he was. He had managed to keep Mom human for almost two whole years. I knew this wasn't something I would win. That didn't mean I couldn't cheat around the edges. I could still touch her. Like I was doing right then. My hand had hers captured on my leg. My fingers running circles across the warm flesh.

Nessie came in then. She had some strange up styled hair do. It looked very intricate and of course pretty. "Are we going to school? We're going to be late! I can't be late. I have a new hair style just for Clara. Come on!!!"

Thankful to escape my dad, I left quickly with the wolves. I rode in the Jeep only because I couldn't ride in the SUV with the wolves because technically they didn't live with us and because I refused to ride with my father.

The day at school passed quickly. I stole every moment I could with Leah. It was strange how much my mind had changed in almost one night. But, it hadn't. We didn't act any differently towards each other. It was just the ability to be closer to her that I craved. As much as I had tried to deny it, I was pretty sure the change had been brought on by the few human hormones in my body. They must have started acting a couple of weeks ago when I had first started admiring her body, but they weren't the only reason I had decided to act. They were more like the final straw. The hormones had made it so that I couldn't dismiss my feeling for her any more.

I knew I was addicted to her skin now. It was warmer than mine, but not by much. What fascinated me was how soft it was. Especially compared to my own skin. While mine was not the hard, cold bands that the vampires' was, my own skin was very similar. It was too hard to explain, but I knew it was different. I enjoyed watching her skin compress as I touched it. The smooth, yet alive quality I couldn't get enough of.

I wondered if she thought I was acting strange. I had then wondered if she would make me stop. But that proved to be an idle worry as well, for every time I touched her she leaned closer, her heart accelerated, or she sighed in pleasure like my touch was something see too longed for. That made me cocky, but hey, I was half human male.

Unfortunately, school came to an end far too quickly. I was much less pleased with going over to Clara Barton's house now. It just meant I would be away from Leah for more time. I wouldn't complain though, I knew Jake would tease me. After all, Nessie was with him. He wasn't giving anything up for Seth's need to see Clara. Suddenly, I realized I completely understood Seth's problems. I couldn't imagine only being able to see Leah for an hour at lunch. It was too cruel.

"Ready to go, Amun?" Nessie asked me.

I nodded. There were too many people focused on me at school. I couldn't suddenly disappear; it would be noticed. So, Nessie had decided that she and I would leave school in the wolves' SUV; then outside the city limits where no one was watching, I would disappear. It didn't take long for the Jake to reach those limits either. He too seemed to enjoy driving fast. We traveled up Hamlet Road for awhile before turning onto the self-proclaimed Clara Road. I highly doubted it was a true road, probably just a drive way.

The gravel road wound through the dense forest at a slight incline before it abruptly stopped in front of a large manner that looked very out of place. It was like a townhouse had been picked up from the middle of some large city and planted in the forest. There was another car already parked. I figured it was Clara's. Jake, Seth, and Nessie bounded out of the car with me following silently after them. Seth knocked on the door, and Clara with her strange stick straight blond hair met us. Her smile got much larger after see saw Seth.

"Come in! Come in!" She exclaimed. "Sorry for the mess. Usually Dad keeps the house cleaner, but he's been under a lot of stress lately." She said with a frown.

We all entered her house. I quickly got in before the door was closed and immediately sniffed the air. _Clean so far._

"Is your father here?" Seth asked.

Clara sighed. "No, he had some urgent business up in Seaside today. He probably won't be back until very late. I'm sorry." She turned back to Seth. "I really wanted him to meet you too." She frowned again.

Seth shrugged hoping to make her feel better. "It's not a big deal. I'll be back. I can meet him then." He smiled. Clara beamed back at him.

"Oh! I have something for you guys." She said as she led them into the kitchen. It was then I noticed the scents of human cooking heavy in the air. I must have been too busy searching for that elusive vampire's scent to notice. Jake didn't seem in the same boat. I could almost see him salivating.

"Hallelujah, I can't tell you how long I've waited for actual food. Leah's not bad, but _this_," Jake gestured towards the prepared meal, "this is real food."

Clara laughed excited at Jake's approval. She looked at Seth almost timidly. "Do you like it?" She queried.

Seth's grin was monstrous. "It's awesome. Maybe you can teach Leah."

"She wouldn't mine?" She asked almost too seriously.

Jake cracked his knuckles. "If she did, we'd teach her some manners."

"You know Amun would never let you hurt Leah." Nessie said with a wry smile.

I glared at them all. That was really low to talk about me while I was "not there." Clara seemed startled while Seth grimaced. It must be weird thinking of his sister being with someone – even if it was just me.

"Leah and Amun? They're together?" She seemed to be deep in thought.

Seth nodded while Jake and Nessie started laughing.

"What?" Clara asked as she cocked her head to the side.

"Nothing. Nothing." Nessie said.

Clara looked between the two as if trying to figure out their secret but soon gave up. "That's a shame."

"Why?" Seth asked looking slightly panicked.

Clara gazed at him confused. "Don't you know? Half of the girls at school are in love with him." She said in that serious voice again.

"You one of them?" Jake asked with a grin.

Nessie glanced at Clara. After a second, they burst out laughing. Clara shook her head. I noticed Seth's tense muscles relax. Poor wolf. As scintillating as their talk was, I decided I had stayed long enough. I tugged on a stand of Nessie's hair. She nodded as she recognized our signal. Well, technically, I had come up with it. How could I pass up a chance to pick on my sister?

I moved quickly through the first floor glancing quickly at the documents strewn about the office near the back. They looked like shipment schedules. Since Clara's father was in the trade business, it made since. One of the shipment schedules caught my eye. One of the items had been scratched out so severely the paper had torn. I couldn't read it, but the price tag was huge. I hadn't realized anything could be worth so much money. There was no vampire smell on the first floor, so I ascended to the second. I quickly searched the rooms there and found only Clara's waterfall scent and the thick smell of food drifting up from the first floor.

On the third landing, the air was almost stale. It confused me. As I looked around, I noticed several rooms. As I moved toward the first on my right, I inhaled. I almost toppled to the floor. It was here! The same sickly sweet smell that I had smelt several times now. I shook my head to clear my rattled brain. I focused on my surroundings. It seemed that this part of the house wasn't used. That would explain the stale state of the air. I had to be as sure as I could of how long it had been since the vampire had been here. I sniffed the air again. _No scent._ I almost growled in frustration, but held it in to be sure I wasn't caught. I stepped further away from the stairs and tried again. _Yes!_ I was so faint I almost hadn't caught it. The trail must have been very old. I didn't know much about scents, but this one could even be years old if no one had disturbed this floor.

I headed back downstairs quickly hoping I could get Nessie to redirect the conversation in my favor. I needed to know two things. Was the third floor used? How long had they lived in the house? If I could get those answers, I could determine whether or not she was in contact with the vampire or just his lingering scent.

I entered the kitchen and tugged on Nessie's hair. She let out a hiss too low for Clara to hear, but I noticed both wolves had glanced silently towards Nessie before refocusing on Clara and her story. Good, they were paying attention. "What?" She whispered.

"Scent on the third floor. Seems old. Need to know if they use the third floor, and how long they've lived here."

Nessie nodded so slightly and quickly Clara would have never even noticed.

"Clara?" Nessie asked.

Clara turned towards her. "Yes?"

"I totally love your house. I know my Grandmother would adore it too. She loves architecture. How many floors does it have?"

Clara smiled. "I love it too. Its way better than the orphanage. Floors? Well, it has three," she held out three fingers before resting them against her cheek in thought, "but we don't use the third floor." She said with a shake of her head. "Father says it's not in really good shape. He doesn't want me to get hurt." She smiled at his obvious care for her. "He lives on this floor. I get the second one all to myself. Isn't that great?"

Nessie nodded but then frowned. "Surely he could have fixed the third floor. How long has he lived here?"

Clara was serious again. "Father is always very busy with work. He's not very trusting either," she confided, "so I don't think he wants anyone other than himself to work on the house." Her eyes turned pensive. "I'm not really sure how long Father has lived here. He adopted me about two years ago. We've lived here since then. I think he said something about inherited the house when we moved in, but I've never really asked…"

We left the house soon after. Seth was thanking us all continuously during the drive home. It was comical how happy he was, but I couldn't say anything. Lately, I had been having similar feelings. As we pulled into the driveway though, all light hearted thoughts abruptly ended. Grandfather Carlisle was waiting on the porch for us. It was such a strange sight for him not to be at the hospital, I knew something had happened.

"Carlisle?" Jake asked.

"Come inside, something has changed." He asked quietly.

"What happened?" Nessie asked.

I looked around the living room and noticed both my parents, Alice and Jasper were missing. Emmett looked slightly annoyed, but Rose was keeping him company on the couch. Esme and Leah were talking in low tones over in the corner.

"Alice had a vision." With those four words I felt like lead had settled into my stomach. Why couldn't she see happy things?

"What did she see?" Jake asked his tone serious.

Grandfather looked very weary. "Case has given into his bloodlust. He attacked a human woman earlier today."

"But aren't Alice's visions about the future. It isn't concrete." Nessie argued.

"Alice's visions are never wrong. He indulged in Seaside and fled north." My dad said as he entered the house with Mom right behind him. "Or at least not about such sure things." He added before Nessie could contradict him.

My mind had gone curiously blank. Case had indulged. He had killed. A human was dead. I saw the wolves tense.

"North? Why aren't you still tracking him?" Jake snarled.

Dad glanced towards Mom for the explanation. It was obvious to me by his withdrawn expression that he didn't agree with the decision made. "Jasper asked that we not kill him. You all know they are close friends. Jasper wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt." She turned towards Grandfather. "I knew you wouldn't want to kill him if it was possible." Grandfather gave Mom a pleasant smile.

"Could you pick up anything in his mind, Edward?" Grandfather asked. Dad shook his head.

"No, he was too far north. Probably already near the border. He had quite a lead on us. He attacked when we were in classes. We didn't react fast enough."

"Where are Alice and Jasper?" Grandmother asked slightly worried.

"They wanted to see if they could catch up to him. I think Jasper wanted to talk to him." Mom responded. She turned towards Seth. "How was your time with Clara?" She asked excited.

"That's it?!" Jake growled before Seth could answer. "He killed a human and that's it?"

"There is no treaty here, Jake." Dad reminded the Alpha wolf.

"A life is still a life, Edward." Jake said in a low voice.

"Jacob, do you believe taking a life will make this loss better?" Grandfather asked. "It will not bring that girl back."

"No, but it will stop Case from killing another one." Jake argued.

Grandfather shook his head. "You cannot kill them all. Violence will only bring more violence."

Jake looked away from Grandfather obviously frustrated. Mom took the silence as an opportunity to change subjects. She tried Seth again. "So how was Clara?" Her eyes sparkling.

Seth grinned equally excited. "She was awesome." He began before he launched into a moment by moment replay.

"Nessie?" I asked. She drew her eyes away from Jake to look at me. "Could you show everyone the conversation about the smell?"

"Yup!" Nessie responded before she started showing what had happened. After everyone had been informed, Dad's eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"Thank you, Amun. You're free for the night. You did well." Dad said.

I nodded and glanced at Leah before heading towards my room. She followed me soon after. I would have stayed to hear what they had thought had happened, but I craved Leah's company much more. We sat on my bed again. Only this time we were much closer. It was comfortable, to be surrounded by the forest's scents combined with Leah's; to feel Leah's body beside mine. I felt myself for the first time ever falling asleep without any real need for it. Out of sheer comfort. She truly was my drug.

I woke up to the morning birds as usual, but something was off. There was a slight pressure on my side. I inhaled the earthen scent I knew by heart. I glanced beside me and saw Leah curled up on my right side. My face split into a grin. How we had managed not to hit Dad's radar was beyond me. But I was grateful. Leah looked so peaceful when she slept. I would always remember the serene expression on her face.

"LEAH!!!" I jumped as did Leah at the sound of an irritable Jake.

Leah blinked up at me as if trying to clear her mind. She squinted at me and rubbed her eyes hard. "Must still be dreaming." She muttered.

I chuckled at her. "So you dream about me?" I asked wryly. That answered one old question.

She punched my arm and sent me flying off the bed. I glared at her. She smirked. "Oh, I guess you are real."

"Ha, ha. I need to get dressed. Leave please."

"Alright, alright. I need to see Alice. Hopefully she will have something I can wear. Then I need to make breakfast before the boys maim me." She rolled her eyes as she left. "Heaven forbid they don't get breakfast."

"LEAH! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!?!?!?" Jake yelled again as Leah slammed my door. I chuckled to myself as I got dressed. I had to admit, I felt lighter than I normally did after sleeping. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. No need to be weirder than I already was.

I skipped breakfast to avoid the snide comments I knew were bound to fly after Leah accidentally spent the night. Not long after I had sat down in my favorite tree though, Mom was calling me for school. I rode in the Volvo only because I knew Dad didn't want to be reminded of what had happened last night, so I could avoid comments again. At least for a little while.

"Behave today." Dad said as we pulled into the lot.

"Yes, sir." I intoned.

I had just stepped onto the pathway to the school when I was attacked.

"Oh, Amun!" I heard the extremely vapid Charlotte exclaim as she threw her arms around me. I was very pleased at how easily I was able to mute the voice telling me to bend down and suck on her neck. I guessed that my ridiculously strenuous training was paying off in more ways than one. Since I could think properly, I smelt the salty fluid that was leaking from her eyes. Tears? Why was she crying?

I personally didn't like her, but some human part of me still didn't want her crying on my chest. "Are you ok?" I asked her.

Her blood shot eyes looked up at me pitifully. She was very unattractive at the moment. I thought with an internal sigh. "It's my Aunt." She said as she wailed again.

"Is she ok?" I asked confused.

Her franticly shaking head told me that she wasn't. Had she lost someone close to her? I severely hoped that this was not what happened to me if I lost a family member.

"No." Her voice was for the first time in her life quite. "She's gone, Amun."

"Gone? Where did she go?" I asked confused. Hoping this would get her to let go of me.

She looked bewildered. "She went to work. She never came home."

"Are you sure she's hurt? She could have just left."

"No, her co-workers said she went out for coffee," her lower lip trembled, "and didn't come back."

I frowned. "Were did she work?"

"She worked in Seaside. She was such a nice person too. Now she's missing."

I had frozen when the town's name passed through Charlotte's painted lips. I could hear my father's voice in my head.

"_Alice's visions are never wrong. He indulged in Seaside and fled north." _

I knew what Case had done; I understood that a human had been killed. But seeing the consequences of his choice first hand wasn't something I could have anticipated. If I had ever doubted my family's choice, I didn't now. Case was truly a monster.

"I'm sorry, Charlotte." I said in what I hoped was a sympathetic tone.

"Oh, Amun, you are so kind. Please let me make it up to you." She said as her eyes focused on mine.

"I haven't done anything, Charlotte. There's nothing to repay." I said confused.

She smashed herself closer to me. I sighed in regret. I knew nothing from Charlotte was ever innocent. Leave it to her to use her Aunt's disappearance to her own advantage. She had wanted my sympathy so I would accept whatever she had concocted.

"Oh, yes you have. You listened when I was in _need_. Amun," She tried to look up at me from underneath her eyelashes. I wondered how long it had taken her to get that down. She had probably spent hours in her room practicing. Well, it was pretty good, but I was biased. Nothing could top Leah. "Go to the Welcoming Dance with me, please. It will be my repayment for everything you've done for me. And it's girl's choice."

"Dance?" I asked slightly panicking. "Girls choice?" I said panicking more at the visions I could already see forming in my head. Why hadn't someone told me about a dance?

She smiled up at me. "Amun," she giggled. _Oh if there is a God please get me out of here!_ "There have been fliers everywhere. I'm so glad I caught you first." Her smile was triumphant now. She thought she had won. "So, what do you say? Will you go with me?"

"Ah, you know, Charlotte, I don't think so." I said backpedaling.

She thrust her lower lip out in another practiced pout. "Aw, why?"

I felt a warm arm snake through mine. I sighed as I recognized Leah's scent. Charlotte's eyes widened in horror as she took a step back. Leah smiled cockily back at her.

"Because he's mine." She snarled.

Charlotte looked between the two of us quickly. "Is that true?" She looked very near tears.

"Yeah, it's true. Sorry, Charlotte." I said as I walked passed her and through the halls with Leah's arm still wrapped around my own. Both of us headed towards our lockers to get ready for school. "So," I began as I looked down at her, "we're going to the dance?"

She laughed at me. "Of course, did you really think you could just not go?"

"I didn't even know we had one." I responded. "And aren't you supposed to ask me to go first?" I said with a grin.

She sighed ignoring my question. "Oh, Amun, I forgot you're a boy. Alice has been wrapped up in designs for the girls since the first day of class."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "You let her?"

Her eyes flitted to the floor in a look of annoyance. "She was blackmailing me." She gritted out.

"Oh yeah. I remember. What about?"

She rolled her eyes. "What do you think it was about, idiot?"

I smirk took over my features as I realized exactly what Leah had been trying to hide. "I guess that means you owe me."

"Why?" She said curiously.

"I released you from Alice's blackmail."

"Fine," she conceded, "what do I owe you?" She looked up at me with mischievous eyes.

"Oh I'll think of something." I said as I pinned her against the metal boxes called lockers.

"Bring it."

My lips met hers only for a second before my cold steal arms pulled us apart. I let out a frustrated breath.

"Edward." Leah hissed.

"You know the rules." He responded.

"It was just one kiss." I said aggravated at his quick reflexes even in public.

He glared at me. Obviously this was going to be much harder than I had thought. There was no way I could even kiss Leah with overbearing Dad in the way. I sighed knowing I could never go against my father, even when he was keeping me away from Leah.

"Honestly, Edward, you and Bella do more than that every night." Emmett said with a grin as he approached. _Damn it, Emmett. Get the mental images out of my mind, now!_

"Emmett!" My mom said exasperated.

"Ghee, thanks Em." I said sarcastically.

He snickered as Dad advanced towards him. "Anytime, anytime." He said as he raised his arms in defense. I rolled my eyes and opened the locker with a sigh. I knew today was going to be very long now that Leah and I were in the open. I was already wishing I could skip Sex Edu. I really hated teenage girls.

* * *

Ok! I hope that this chapter didn't seem to out of the blue. There had been lots of tension building up between the two and I hope I kept it true to the characters. If you don't think so, or if you think it was rushed, please let me know, because I worried that I did rush it. Other wise I totally loved making this chapter and I hope that you enjoyed reading it. Here is a preview for the next chapter. I would also like to let you know that all Egyptian myths that I use are based on the Egyptian gods, but I have of course changed some of it for my plot purposes. I think it is fairly believable. *shrug* Well, enough of me talking. Enjoy!

7 ~ Old gods

"Good morning class. Today we will begin our study of Ancient Egypt." Mrs. Trine began passing handouts to each of the rows. "Now these Ancients had a strong undercurrent belief in their many gods. They influenced every aspect of life. These gods were used to explain many of the natural phenomenons that they could not understand. We will begin our study of the Ancients with these gods and goddesses as they form the cornerstone of the culture. Please look over the sheet as I explain them to you. We will begin with the first and head god – Atum. He later merged with the god Ra to create Atum-Ra." I tuned her out for a few moments knowing that the human versions of these myths were probably off. I glanced down at the sheet and noticed the god Atum whom I was named after.

"Yes, Daniel?" I turned my attention back to the class as the teacher recognized one of my classmates.

"Isis could use magic? Couldn't all the gods use magic?"

Mrs. Trine shook her head. "No, magic relied heavily on 'true names'. It was this knowledge that was the source of magic. Gods hid their true names from others in fear of someone gaining control over them." She said as she paced the front of the room. Her eyes excited about the topic she taught.

"So Isis knew people's 'true names'?" One of the girls asked.

"Exactly. It is said she had a book where all the names she had gathered were kept." She smiled mischievously. "Of course, it doesn't exist. None of these gods were real."

I smirked. There was definitely more to this than just old myths. Maybe Grandfather Carlisle would know...


	8. 7: Old Gods

AN: Hey guys. *looking for murderous readers* phew. I'm really sorry this chapter took so long. Gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen!!!! So for you all. I have a new chapter. And it's long, I think. I also have a confession. *looking back at the other chapters* Hmmm... did anyone else notice we had seven days of consecutiveve school? I didn't think so, so I am going to change the chapter where Leah and Amun actually fight (with arm injury). He is going to sleep for three days (the weekend) instead. So, *laughing nervously* I hope your forgive my overzelousness. Enjoy, and please don't kill me at the end. K?

Disclaimer: I own Twilight! YES! Mrs. Meyer gave it to me. Hang on *looking at the lawyer tugging on my arm* What? *whispering* WHAT!? I don't own Twilight? Mrs. Meyer does? I'm being sued?! Ok, ok. *pouting* I don't own Twilight *reading off the card* I take back all previous declarations and am very sorry for my conduct. *glaring at little man* Happy now?

* * *

7 ~ Old gods

I knew today would be difficult, but in all honesty, I had no idea how difficult it would be. Not just for me, but for Leah too. Charlotte, it seems, has an extensive gossip network. I was actually impressed by her speed. In the time it took Leah and I to make it to our lockers, all of the girls who I considered to be in my 'fan club' had obviously been clued in to our 'happiness' not that they seemed to share in it with us. Why did I know this? Because every one of them turned to glare at Leah. If they had been vampires, those glares would have made my skin itch to cloak. Since they were only human, it was almost humorous. They actually thought they could do Leah some harm. Humans hurt a shape-shifter? I couldn't hold it in any longer, I laughed.

"What's so funny?" Leah asked annoyed. I knew she had to be pissed at the glares the majority of the female population was giving her.

I shook my head trying to conceal my mirth. "Nothing, nothing." I said as I shifted her book bag on my shoulder. I still wouldn't let her carry it even though the bruises are almost gone.

She fumed the rest of the way to first period. She had math instead of Sociology. She stopped at the door and turned to face me. I saw her anger pass away as if it had never been there before. I grinned at her almost pained expression. She needed the contact just as much as I did. It made me feel better that I wasn't the only one who felt the almost irrational urge to be near her.

She sighed. "Meet me after class?" Her eyes looked almost hesitant as if she doubted I would say yes. Well, she was stupid for thinking that. I didn't think I could stay away even if I tried.

"I'll be here." The grin that spilt her face was rare. It lit her whole face in a different light than usual. She looked younger almost as if some great burden had been lifted off her shoulders temporarily. My fingers twitched to touch her again. Surely Dad would understand.

I lifted my fingers to lightly brush her arm. She shivered under the contact. I knew if Dad was coming I didn't have much time. I also knew that the school frowned on public displays of affection (PDA for short), but at that moment, I found I didn't give a shit. My head moved then, tilting down for a better angle at her lips. I was so close; I could feel her soft breath on my lips, her smell luring me in. My lips brushed chastely across her own. She let out a shuddering breath. I smirked. I really enjoyed messing with Leah's control.

Before, we took it too far and got lost in each other, I pulled back. Though I would have rather continued, I honestly didn't want my father to kill me today. So I placed on more kiss to her forehead. She leaned towards me as I pulled away making her lips linger on mine a second longer. Her eyes closed in bliss.

I grabbed the hands that were tightly clasped to my shirt. Slowly, I urged them back to her side. Her eyes opened, met mine, then flitted to the floor in disappointment.

I laughed. "See you after class."

She smirked as she noticed my still twitching hands. Damn, she was hard to resist. Her eyes met mine in triumph. "See you then."

I left quickly then, hoping I could gather enough strength to make it back to the class room. I entered just as the bell rang. I noticed most of the girls looking at me in either blatant anger or complete disbelief. I wondered why they were looking at me that way. Was it because they knew about me and Leah or was it something else? I couldn't help the reflexive smile that spread on my face as I thought about Leah. I had it so bad. I gave a shaky soft laugh as I sat down.

Jake smirked at me from his seat right in front of me.

"What?" I asked him.

He turned around to face me with a look of amusement plastered on his face. "You look weird."

I frowned and glanced at my clothes. They weren't that bad. Every button was in the right place, these were all clean too. There was no way Alice would ever let me wear dirty clothes to school. She would kill me first. "What do you mean?" I finally asked out of pure confusion.

He rolled his eyes and turned back to the teacher. That frustrated me. What was it? "Jake," there was no way he was getting away that easily, "what's weird about me." Nessie giggled from her seat. I shot my glare towards her this time. "Nessie, please tell me."

She grinned. "You look happier. Your face is lighter somehow." She giggled. "All the girls can tell you're in love."

I blinked my eyes at her. Was I seriously that obvious? Apparently so, I noticed several more girls cast desperate looks in my direction. _Well, if it keeps them away from me that was just fine by me._ I thought as I settled back into the seat for the lecture of the day.

_3, 2, 1… _I counted down mentally in my head.

_DIIIIINNNGGGG!!!_

I was out of my seat before the bell had stopped ringing. I heard Nessie's short excited, laugh following after me. If she knew how hard it had been to sit through the lecture on humans' needs to fit in and not see Leah, she wouldn't be laughing. It was even harder than the first day. How was that possible? I shook my head to clear it as I rounded the corner that separated me from Leah's math class.

She had been waiting for me. Her eyes trained on the spot she knew I would appear at. She waited for me to join her. Her face calm.

"Hey." She said.

"Yo." I replied as I snaked my hand through her arm down to her fingers. I tightened my grip on her reflexively. She was not leaving now.

We walked in silence to Sex Education knowing what Hell would be awaiting us there. Sure enough, after only one step inside the door, I was overcome with Déjà vu.

"AMUN!" Amanda yelled as she hurried to my side. Her eyes filled to the brim with fear as she looked at the woman attached to my hand. She quickly turned back to me. "Please, tell me it's not true." She pleaded.

If they had truly not been as deceitful and evil as I knew these human girls to be, I would have felt sorry for her. As it was, I didn't feel anything towards Amanda. I felt no need to soften the blow. "It's true. Leah and I are together."

She shook her head. "I didn't catch that. What?"

Oh, she had caught it alright, she just couldn't accept it. I was about to repeat myself, but Leah beat me to it. "Don't even bother, Amun. You would be waisting your breath. Come on. Let's get our seat." She tugged on my hand as she passed the still in shock, Amanda. I sighed and followed after her.

To my amusement, Sex Education was bearable because our teacher was sick. So they showed a movie during the class instead of the normal lecture. Though I'm sure the movie was graphic, I wasn't paying it any attention. All I could feel were Leah's soft hands moving in small circles across my upper leg. The haze that was my vision couldn't seem to focus. _Don't think about it. Don't think about it. _I echoed over and over again in my head. Though I thoroughly enjoyed having Leah's attention, this _was_ going to drive me crazy if she didn't stop. I could already feel the slim control I had over my raw human emotions slipping.

I shook my head to stop that thought. If I gave in, it would quite a demonstration for the classroom. I chucked at my dark thoughts. I wasn't sure if Amanda and Charlotte would be horrified or join in. I stopped those thoughts too. I wasn't going to loose control so it would never matter.

"Amun?" Leah asked, the circles had finally stopped. I breathed a sigh of relief. Sometimes she was too much.

My eyes flitted over to her. I raised my eyebrow in a silent question. Her concerned mask slipped a little. I glared as I saw the utter evil in her eyes. That damn women knew what she was doing to me. _Damn her!_ I caught her hand as thoughts my father would say were a far cry from a gentleman's flew through my head. Oh it was definitely time for payback!

I saw Leah stiffen as she noticed the shift in my mood. I grabbed forcefully placed her cruel hand back on her leg. Once I was sure it wasn't coming back to mine, I started to repay her _generous _attention. My hand ghosted over her thigh as my passive face remained unfocused on the television. I heard the increase in her heartbeats even as she cursed under her breath. My lip twitched up into a smirk before I could help it. She growled low at me, but of course, I ignored it. My hands moved with a little more pressure. I moved the slowly up from her knee. Up, up, up. Her breathing hitched as I got closer to the absolutely-no-touch-in-public zone. I tried to contain my laughter. I wondered how far I could go before she lost it. My hand inched closer.

"Amun." She hissed. A quick glance showed her wide and frantic eyes. My hand inched closer. Closer. My hand darted back towards me as Leah flew up out of her seat. The substitute looked up from her daze at the commotion.

"Miss?" She asked in a raspy voice. She cleared her throat. "Are you alright?" The women looked concerned at Leah whose eyes promised me pain later. I just placed my head in my hand and looked serenely back at the class disturber.

"I just need some water, please?" Leah explained, her voice a little higher than normal.

The concerned substitute nodded. "Of course, dear, take your time."

"Thank you." Leah said as she quickly walked from the room.

She had been gone for maybe two minutes before the bell rang. I looked down at her desk to see she had slipped her book bag out with her. _Coward_. I thought with a smile. School had definitely gotten more fun recently.

My next class, Geometry, passed without incident because Leah wasn't in it. Before I knew it, I was in World Civilization, my last class before lunch. I found I like world civilization. I found it fascinating to see how early humans existed. I had found myself wondering if vampires were the causes of the unexplained happenings which pervaded early myths. When our teacher entered with a stack full of papers in her hands, I wasn't sure what to expect.

She beamed at us all. "Good morning class. Today we will begin our study of Ancient Egypt." Mrs. Trine began passing handouts to each of the rows. "Now these Ancients had a strong undercurrent belief in their many gods that influenced every aspect of life. These gods were used to explain many of the natural phenomenons that they could not understand." She had finished handing out the pamphlets and had moved back to her desk and was leaning on the front of it.

"We will begin our study of the Ancients with these gods and goddesses as they form the cornerstone of the culture. Please look over the sheet as I explain them to you. We will begin with the first and head god – Atum. He later merged with the god Ra to create Atum-Ra." I tuned her out for a few moments knowing that the human versions of these myths were probably off. I glanced down at the sheet and noticed the god Amun whom I was named after. A sly smile slid over my face as I thought about how similar we were. Well, in some ways. I obviously wasn't a god.

"Yes, Daniel?" I turned my attention back to the class as the teacher recognized one of the human males.

"Isis could use magic? Couldn't all the gods use magic?" I scanned the sheet until I found the goddess Isis.

Mrs. Trine shook her head. "No, magic relied heavily on 'true names'. It was this knowledge that was believed to be the source of her magic. Gods hid their true names from others in fear of someone gaining control over them." She said as she paced the front of the room. Her eyes excited about the topic she taught.

"So Isis knew people's 'true names'?" One of the girls asked.

"Exactly. It is said she had a book where all the names she had tricked out were kept." She smiled mischievously. "Of course, it doesn't exist. None of these gods were real. There have been no archaeological finds to back up the myth either. Sadly, we may never know if this book existed or not."

I would have to ask Dad about the Egyptians. I didn't know much about them other than it was them who named me. I was curious if these human myths related at all to the Egyptian vampires that we knew. Probably, if the life-span of vampires was truly as long as my family claimed.

I found myself loosing interest in the subject though as the teacher went on to explain all the feuds and wars between the gods. Soon, I didn't care at all. Why did they always seem to get into petty arguments which then had colossal affects on human kind? If you had heard one story, it seemed the others weren't much different.

_DIIINNNGGG!!!!!_

I packed my bad quickly and headed for lunch. It would be strange to have lunch with Alice and Jasper gone. They had still been tracking this morning. Alice's visions were getting clearer near early morning so they were going to continue following him back south through Kansas. It didn't seem like the most intelligent place for a vampire who sparkles in the sun to travel, but then again Case didn't strike me as normal in the first place.

My tray connected with the lunch table with a small clack. My mom smiled up at me. Dad seemed to be brooding. From the annoyance I could feel pouring off him in waves, he was not happy. It didn't take me long to figure out who had been the cause of his unease. He turned his unreadable eyes towards me. A frown on his face.

"Amun," he seemed almost weary, "I understand that your attracted to Leah." My eye started twitching. "There are a few things that you need to know."

I sighed. "Edward, I'm in Sex Education. We don't have to have to talk. I get one every day. Or at least when he lectures." I smirked as I thought about what Leah and I did in sex ed instead of listen to a lecture

Dad rubbed his temples. "That's not what I meant. Leah's mind happens to be very vivid." A smirk again came unbidden to my lips. Some things were just too funny. "I would appreciate it if you at least tried to contain yourself."

I was about to argue when Emmett sat his tray down. He laughed at my father. "Yeah, I bet you get tired of Leah's fantasies about your son."

Rose snickered too. "I am so glad I'm not your, Edward."

"Your always so compassionate, Rosalie." Sarcasm present in his voice.

Rose smirked. "Well," she flicked her shimmering hair behind her shoulder, "what can I say. I'm just _so_ thoughtful."

The table burst out laughing as Leah came to join us with Jasper and Alice right behind her.

"Alice!" Mom exclaimed. "Your back!" She lowered her voice. "Did you find them?"

Alice gave a world weary sigh. "He went back south." Jasper was locked in a stare with my father. Obviously holding a silent conversation by the small nods my father made.

"You didn't follow him?" Leah asked curiously. She didn't seem mad that they hadn't followed. Then again, she wasn't like Jake was.

Alice shook her petite head. "No, he went to gather friends in case we chased him that far."

"There's something I don't understand." I voiced. I noticed several curious looks in my direction, so I continued. "If Case had the ability of fire, why did he run? Couldn't he just kill you all with a flick of his power? You are extremely flammable."

Dad looked at Jasper for a second. When Jasper nodded, Dad explained. "I said before that Case had no alliances with anyone which is true. He doesn't take sides, except for jobs. But, Case happens to have a very strong sense of loyalty to those he considers friends. As far as I know, Jasper is the only one in that category."

"So we don't count?" Mom asked with a frown.

"Not really, he doesn't touch Alice because she belongs to Jasper; and he leaves us alone for a similar reason. When it all comes down to it, Case would never attack us unless in self-defense. And with Bella and now you, Amun," Dad turned his gaze back towards me, "he might not be sure he could win even if he did fight."

"But we don't know if I could escape his powers." I frowned.

"You have an equal chance of making it too. Case doesn't take unnecessary risks. He may seem foolish, but he wouldn't be alive if that was true." Jasper said.

"Did he make it to the south yet?" Emmett asked.

Jasper nodded. "He will probably wait to see if we did follow before he makes any new moves."

"Then, I will know." Alice finished as she tapped her head with a slim finger. 'So, how did the trip to Clara's house go?"

"Amun found traces of the same rogue on the third floor. Its old just like most of the other scents, but I don't know. We know he's here. It could be possible he's hiding in their unused house. The girl said she and her father moved in only a couple of years ago."

"He didn't kill them for taking the house?" Jasper said with a frown.

"It was permanent dwelling; the kills would attract attention." Dad argued.

"You said it was an unused floor? Why is that?" Jasper asked me.

"Clara said her father thought it was too dangerous for them to be up there. The house was apparently old."

"Did it seem dangerous to you?"

I frowned and thought back. The air had seemed stale, the area was dark, but the floor hadn't seemed unusual. "I didn't notice."

"Perhaps that is your answer. Surely if the floor was unstable, you would have noticed." Jasper said.

I shook my head. "I was focusing mostly on smell. I'm not sure if I was really paying attention enough to notice."

"Doesn't seem like we have any answers only more questions." Alice said with a pout obviously unhappy her ability wasn't helping.

No one had an answer to that statement. We each fell into silence. It wasn't long before the bell rang. It was time for study hall. I moved to the table where Nessie, Jake, Seth, and Clara were sitting. I was surprised by the unhappy looks on Nessie and Clara's face. Seth looked like someone had shot him.

"What's wrong?" I asked as we moved towards the classroom.

Clara looked blankly up at me. "It's my Dad."

"Is he alright?"

"I guess." She said moodily. Then she seemed to catch some momentum. "It's just not fair! He said he was going to be home. How was I supposed to know that he didn't want you guys to stay if he wasn't there." She folded her arms securely across her front.

"What do you mean?" I said as we walked into class.

"He came home yesterday and the moment he stepped in the door he was mad. He smelled me cooking."

"Do you not normally cook?" I asked surprised.

"No, well sometimes, only for myself. Dad has so many allergies that he has to make his own food. I guess he knew someone had come over." Her mood changed from melancholy back to fierce, "But he said he didn't care. He promised it wouldn't matter if I had friends over."

"So, he was mad that Nessie, Jake, and Seth visited you?" I asked confused.

She nodded her head. "He said that men who would come over without a chaperon present were vile. Vile! I cannot believe he called Seth vile. Seth is _not _vile at all." I let out a silent chuckle. Seth was doing a good job winning her over. "_Then_, he said that they were never to come back over again!"

"What?" I felt sympathy for Seth. This was definitely bad for him. No wonder he looked like he was going to die.

"I know! He won't even meet Seth." She hung her head in defeat. "And I so wanted to introduce them."

"Maybe you could come over to our house instead." I offered. Nessie shot me a startled look. I shrugged. The family would behave.

She shook her head at the floor. "Can't. Dad doesn't trust me now. He's making his driver come and pick me up after school."

Nessie's eyes widened. "You have a driver?!" She grabbed Clara's hands in glee. "That is so cool!"

Clara smiled a smile tinged with sadness. "It's not what you think." Nessie frowned. "Daddy's blind."

_What?_He father is blind. But that didn't make since. All those papers on the floor hadn't been in brail. And the invoice that had been scratched out violently was too precise for a blind man.

"Blind? Then how does he work?" Nessie asked confused.

"He has a lot of employees. Some of them come over to the house and help him. Mainly his assistant though. She's the main one who comes to the house."

My suspicion eased. So other people did his work. That made sense and explained everything.

"I'm really sorry, Clara. Maybe it will blow over." I tried to comfort her.

She smiled that same sad smile. "You don't know my dad. He loves grudges."

"Oh." I finished lamely. I wasn't that good at helping human females in the first place so I looked back at Nessie hoping she could take over now. She nodded and soon they were engrossed in the latest movie coming out.

Study Hall and Earth Science passed in almost the blink of an eye. Before I knew it, I was in the Volvo on the way back home. Dad still driving like a man possessed. His eyes flicked back at me for a second.

"Amun."

"Yeah?"

"I think we should start practicing again. Now that Case is gone, there will be no interruptions." He explained as I sighed but understood.

"Yes, Sir."

Minutes later, Dad, Jasper, and I were in the clearing not too far from the house. Dad had the sack of apple is a mesh bag. He pulled out two and threw them at me. I caught them with both hands.

"I want you to try something different today." Dad began. His eyes searing straight into mine. "Cloak only one apple. Leave the other visible."

I frowned. I wasn't sure how to do that. The way I had been controlling my ability before wouldn't work. Sure I could make the pulse strong enough to cover one apple, I was positive about that, but would it cover one? Or would it cover half of each? There was only one way to find out.

I dug deep into my mind were the pulses began.

Ba-bump.

As quickly as possible I urged the pulse stronger. It did my bidding easily. I was a quick learner.

BA_BUMP.

I frowned as both apples disappeared. That was strange. I had only wanted one to disappear. Was the pulse too strong? I tried to ease off the extra push, sure enough parts of the apples started to appear. It was oddly disconcerting to watch. When the pulse was at the half-way mark, there were two halves in my hands. So, I could control the amount. Now I just had to figure out how to control where the pulse covered. I thought about my ability. It reminded me of an electronic current that spread outward from its internal source. Without direction it flowed in all directions.

Humans used electricity by using wires. They followed the roads. These wires were used to direct the electricity were they wanted it go. The charge flowed threw it. Could I apply a similar concept to my ability? It was worth a shot. A part of my mind monitored the pulses making sure they kept at the right strength. The rest of my mind tried to create a path for the pulse to travel on. Slowly I extended that path to my right arm connecting it to the apple sitting there.

BA_Bump.

Some odd sensation traveled quickly down my arm. I felt the hair on it rise. When I looked down, there was no apple in my right hand, but I did feel something. Not a weight, an answering pulse. I smirked. That wasn't too hard.

I looked up to see a very smug looking father. I could tell he was pleased at how quickly I had managed it.

"Good, now lets practice. Jasper?"

Jasper nodded. His eyes focused in the direction of the apple sitting in the air. I steeled myself for another long night of fighting as Jasper launched at me quickly. I moved backwards. His foot came out of nowhere and I found myself flying into the tree on the opposite side of the clearing. Damn. I glared over at Jasper.

"Why does everyone always hold back?" I muttered as I realized this was the first time Jasper had used all his strength. Jasper's answering smirk got me up off the floor.

_I'll show them._ I thought as I launched for the first time towards them on the offensive. Jasper didn't seem surprised as he met me halfway in the field. Every half hour or so Dad would add another apple to my ever growing pile and give new directions on how many should be visible causing me to change the pulse and the flow.

"Seven." He ordered as I flipped away from the leg Jasper had been trying to plant in my stomach. My feet hit the ground as the pulse grew stronger. I opened another path connecting the apple to the others. The surge flowed down my arm as I saw something red flicker away. My eyes didn't focus on it as my right hand blocked Jasper's punch. I still skidded a couple of feet to the right. Vampires were just too damn strong.

"Good." Dad said as I moved to attack again.

I was forced to give that up as more punched began their assault on my upper body. I swerved around them, but just barely. A claw ripped at my arm. I felt liquid other than the rain drip down my arm, but it was shallow. My blood didn't smell, so there was no problem with the scent either.

"Two…"

I found an opening just as Dad spoke, and as my mind called back the paths from five apples and the pulse softened, I connected a kick to Jasper's stomach. He smirked as his body remained just where it was. Even as five apples appeared in the bag. He grasped my foot and I found myself flying through the air. I put out hands to make sure I didn't land on my head, but just as they connected and I prepared to flip right side over, something hard connected with my stomach. I skidded backwards a few feet before I rolled to a stop. I was panting hard now. My body calling for a break. I looked up only to meet the passive face Jasper always wore when he fought. _There goes my break._ I though with a mental sigh. I jumped up to avoid the kick aimed where my shin had been moments ago.

"Tired?" Jasper taunted.

I growled as I launched at him again only to be pushed back. I was not giving up that easily. Not today.

Hours later, I lay on my bed an inch from sleep when there was a tap at my window. For a second I thought about ignoring it, but then it came a little louder. I rolled over and looked towards the glass panels to see my favorite wolf looking straight at me. A small smirk on her face. I crawled out of bed, my exhausted limps almost dropping me to the floor. Thankfully, they held me up and I unlocked the window. She slid in as I moved back to the bed. She joined me a second later.

"Aren't you worried you'll be caught?" I asked sleepily.

"Nope." I could tell she was grinning even though my eyes were closed.

"Why not?" I slurred. I felt the bed shake with her silent laughter.

"I'm dreaming."

I opened my eyes to look at her funny. "Huh?"

"I've convinced myself that I'm dreaming. Besides, Edward's probably too cocky. Doesn't think I'll sneak in two nights in a row."

I made a musing sound as I buried my face back in the comfortable pillow. "I'm tired, Leah." Her hands snaked around my stomach, instead of waking me up I felt even more relaxed.

"Go to sleep then, idiot. Honestly, Edward was too hard on you today." She said as her head rested just above my heart.

"It's all your fault." I mumbled.

I felt her soft lips touch the base of my throat. "Forgive me?" She whispered against my skin.

My eyes almost rolled back in my head. I opened them to look at her and only met her mischievous smirk. So this was her payback. Kissing me when I couldn't move. I glared at her as my mind pulled me closer to sleep.

"Damn you." I got out as my eyes closed against my will.

Her body's shake of laughter was the last thing I remember feeling before I was out. The next day I woke up to an empty bed. It took me a minute to remember where I was. My body felt extremely sore. I distinctly remembered a wolf sleeping in my bed last night. I wondered now if that had been some type of illusion. It couldn't be a dream since I didn't dream at all. I inhaled and her comforting scent soothed my senses. It had been real then. She must have gotten up early to make sure no one noticed her absence again.

I yawned and got out of bed to prepare for the day. I drifted listlessly into the kitchen my mind still tired even if my body wasn't. All the wolves were present. I frowned as I noticed a bump on Jake's head. Had he been hurt?

"What happened to you?" I asked as I sat next to Leah.

He huffed and glared at Leah. "When I mentioned someone wasn't in bed last night around midnight, I found myself with this lump on my head."

"Why were you up so late?" I asked.

He glanced quickly away and Dad came in the room. I noticed his eyes moved directly towards the head wolf. I grin split my face. _Busted_. Jake looked very nervous.

"Why were you up so late?" Dad asked.

Jake had a stone expression on his face. Probably trying unsuccessfully not to think about what he had done with my sister last night. I hoped for his sake it wasn't that bad. Nessie chose this moment to dance into the room. Alice grinning broadly after her. Oh yeah, they were busted. Dad's eyes flickered over to Nessie disgruntled before his eye twitched.

"Bella, get in here." He said in a low voice.

Mom came in confused, but stopped shot as she noticed Nessie sitting on Jake's lap. Her eyes grew happy, and she smiled before she too froze. Her eyes narrowed at Jake. I frowned, seriously confused.

"Jake. I thought we already had this discussion." Mom growled. "You will not hurt my baby." _What am I? Meatloaf?_

Jake rolled his eyes. "You know I won't hurt Nessie."

Mom gritted her teeth then turned to me. She smiled again. "Good morning! How did you sleep last night?"

I glanced at Leah and her eyes met mine. I looked back to see my father glaring at us again. _Damn. Busted again._

"You came through the window?!" Dad let out a frustrated breath. He looked at my mom. "You knew didn't you?" She smiled guiltily. "If you think I'm letting go of my rules, your wrong. Neither of you are to-"

"Aw, come on Edward. There's no way you can keep them in check with no one on your side." Emmett said as he walked into the room. "Just let them be already." He said as Grandfather Carlisle and Grandmother Esme walked in.

I noticed Dad and Grandfather staring at each other. Well, Dad was glaring, and Grandfather had that calm expression he always wore. After a moment, I saw Dad's head drop. "Alright. Fine. But you are still to young for sex." He added.

Grandfather nodded. I knew if Grandfather was on Dad's side there was nothing I could do about it. Nevertheless, I was so much freer! I grinned down at Leah who smirked back. _Heck yes!_

Alice smiled at us all as I'm sure she saw what would be happening soon. Dad did not seem relieved by her visions. Instead, he growled. I kind of understood thought. I sure as heck didn't want to be in my parents' minds when they were doing it. Maybe I could find a way to make it work for both of us. Mom might be able to help. I grinned as a new plan erupted in my mind. One that would work for both Leah and Dad. I would have to talk to Mom soon.

I saw Dad tense as Alice did. She was seeing something. I wondered if it had anything to do with my recent thoughts. I frowned at the crease in Dad's forehead. No, it didn't have to do with me.

"What is it, Alice?" Grandmother Esme asked as she moved closer to her daughter.

"Its Case. His moving again." She said as she eyes still focused in the future.

"Where?" Mom asked.

"Egypt." Dad said with a frown. "He's going to finish some business."

Alice nodded as her eyes refocused. "That's all I got. It seemed like he was just going back to work." She shrugged. "Must have realized we weren't following him anymore. Besides he said he was up here for work anyway."

Dad nodded. "I think so. Don't worry about him now. I'm sure he'll enjoy the plane ride."

Alice grimaced. "He will."

"Let's go to school. Clara said she would be there early so she could spend more time with us."

Seth nodded as he jumped out of his chair. It fell with a clash to the floor. "Oops."

The room laughed as he picked it up and we headed for the cars.

School was odd that Wednesday. The girls were almost too nice to Leah and me all day. No one said a single ugly thing about her. Amanda even complemented her on her clothes. Leah was confused and so was I. This was bizarre. It got even weirder as we stepped into Sex Education. Amanda and Charlotte were there to corner us.

"Leah!" Amanda exclaimed much the same way she usually said mine. Leah eyed her warily.

"Yes?" She asked.

"I love your clothes." Amanda confided. I looked over Leah's ripped jeans and blank white T-shirt. I liked it too, but I wasn't sure why Amanda did.

Charlotte came over then and in a mock whisper added, "Oh my God! We have to get her to help us."

Leah raised an eyebrow as Amanda gushed. "Charlotte! You're a genius!" She turned towards Leah. "You _have_ to help us."

"Really?" Leah said skeptically.

"Yes! We need your advice for what to wear to the dance." Charlotte pouted. "I have nothing good to wear."

Amanda nodded sympathetically. "I don't either. Please come shopping with us today. We were going to go to Seaside, but we just don't know what to wear." She threw her hands in the air in exasperation.

"What store?" I looked at Leah confused. She rolled her eyes. "Alice has been telling me I have to go for my final fitting by the end of this week. The rest of the girls went last weekend while you were," she glanced at the Terrible Two, "not feeling well. I wanted to stay and help, so I didn't go."

"OH! Let us come with you." Amanda said.

"Please?" Charlotte begged.

With a sigh, Leah nodded. "Whatever."

"Can I come?" I asked. I knew the Terrible Two were planning something. I wasn't going to let Leah go alone.

Leah shook her head. "Alice won't let any of the boys see them until the dance."

I frowned. If she thought that was going to stop me from keeping her safe from insane human girls she had another thing coming. "I won't look." I protested. "It would be like I wasn't even there."

Leah shook her head at me trying to contain her laughter. Charlotte glanced quickly at Amanda while they thought Leah wasn't looking. I noticed her wild expression. They didn't want me to come. My eyes narrowed. "Oh Amun! This is a girl's night." She gave a fake laugh. "No boys allowed."

"Fine." I said as I looked at Leah. "I won't go." Leah smirked. If she hadn't caught my drift she didn't deserve for me to watch the Terrible Two for her.

And that's how I found myself at six o'clock, invisible, walking behind Charlotte, Amanda, and Leah as they moved towards a restaurant the other two had insisted on. I had finally realized why males didn't shop with the girls. It was horribly boring and Leah refused to let me see her in The Dress. So I had sat on the floor by the door for almost two hours while Charlotte and Amanda tried on horribly revealing dresses and Leah sighed.

I had taken that time to reflect on how weird Dad and Alice had been acting when I saw them at lunch. I figured they must have seen or heard something and decided not to tell us. I was annoyed. Alice probably thought it would be more fun if we didn't know what the Terrible Two had planned. Dad was probably getting revenge for Leah's stray thoughts. Either way, I knew we would find out soon.

I walked up the few stairs between the ground and the restaurant called The Classy Sassy. Why did it not surprise me that Charlotte and Amanda like it? There was a waiter right by the door. As I slipped in, he asked for their reservation.

"Charlotte Wint." Charlotte said as she fluttered her eyes excessively at the male waiter. I found myself oddly grateful that I wasn't the only person she did that too. Though, I sympathized with him when he rolled his eyes covertly to the register. After checking the name, the waiter motioned for the girls to follow him. Leah followed close behind but the other two fell back.

"How will we get her away from the table, Manda?" Charlotte whispered. I saw Leah rub her ear. She could definitely hear them.

"Here," She hissed as she put a small packet in Charlotte's hand. "Make sure you put it in her drink. I'll get her to the bathroom." Amanda instructed.

"You sure it will work?" Charlotte asked, uncertainly.

"Positive, Eric has contacts." She nodded curtly.

"I'm kinda excited." Charlotte giggled. I stared at her. She was excited about slipping something into Leah's drink? She was worse than I had thought.

The waiter guided them to the back of The Classy Sassy to a very private booth. As they sat down I whispered in Leah's ear. "Just go with Amanda. I'll keep an eye on Charlotte." She gave an unnoticeable nod.

A new female waiter came a second later and asked for drink orders.

"Water." Leah deadpanned.

"Shirley Temple." Charlotte said with a fake sugary smile.

"Diet anything." Amanda said quickly waving the woman away.

The waiter nodded and walked away.

Amanda glanced meaningfully at Charlotte before turning to Leah. "Leah? Why don't you come to the bathroom with me?" She gave Leah an equally meaningful wink. "I need to talk to you."

Amanda didn't give Leah a chance to argue. She pulled her hand and though Leah could have just ignored it, it would have taken more than human strength. So, caught between an exposure and Amanda, she sighed followed after the pushy girl.

Charlotte watched them go with childlike excitement. She giggled again when the waiter placed the drinks down. Since Leah was sitting by herself. Her glass was nestled down right next to the pink drink Charlotte had ordered for herself. She took the packet out and moved to tilt it over clear glass.

"Charlotte." I whispered from behind her.

She jumped and looked behind her has I tilted her hand down towards the pink drink. She frowned as she looked at the empty packet in her hand. She shrugged as if hearing voices was something that happened normally. She smiled wickedly at the clear drink before taking a slip of her Shirley Temple. She blinked rapidly, shook her head, and took another stronger sip. A few minutes later, I heard Amanda's voice echoing rather loudly through the restaurant. Charlotte sat up higher in her seat and took another sip before she started leaning to the side. I tried to contain my smirk. Charlotte's eyes seemed glassy.

Leah was watching the swaying girl wryly as they approached. "Charlotte? Are you ok?" She asked sympathetically.

Amanda's eyes widened as she noticed the sweat on Charlotte's face. "Oh! Charlotte!" She looked down at the pink drink with modification. "You must have…" she seemed to think hard, "gotten sick!"

"I am?" Charlotte asked confused. Her eyes drooped a little.

"Leah, I think I should take Charlotte home. She looks bad." Amanda said as she stared at the table again.

"Of course. I brought my own car after all." Leah said kindly. Only I saw the smile for the sneer it was. Leah knew whatever was happening to Charlotte the two had planned to happen to her. She was not pleased.

Amanda hurriedly got the now confused and listless Charlotte out of the booth. They walked as quickly as possible to the door. As Leah passed them, I heard Charlotte mumbling incoherently. Leah held the door open to almost unconscious Charlotte before leaving them to face the stairs alone. I looked back to watch as Amanda took one step down before Charlotte fell into her. I heard their screams as they fell down the last couple of stairs.

"Charlotte! My leg!!!!"

I shook my head and turned around to see Leah holding the passenger car door open 'searching for something.' I got in, and she closed the door. She put the car in drive and stared hard at the road. I said nothing knowing she didn't want me too. As we hit Hamlet Road I appeared in her sight.

"They tried to poison me didn't they." She said rather than asked.

I nodded. "What do you think they were going to do once I was unconscious?" She fumed. I noticed the tight grip on the steering wheel.

"Alice and Dad probably know."

She sighed as she slowed down. "I'm going to kill them for not warning us. I honestly didn't know they were that evil."

I smirked. "All is fair in love and war."

"Yes well, I think we won that one." She said as she pulled into our driveway.

"Love or the war?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes. "Both, idiot."

"Why do you keep calling me that?" I asked.

"It's the truth." She said as she parked the car.

"Is this another one of Nessie's truths?" I questioned rather annoyed. I much preferred it when she used my name.

"Maybe." She said as we walked in.

Mom greeted us with a smile. "How did it go? Did the dress fit?" She asked Leah.

Leah nodded. "Yeah, Alice was perfect after all." She said as she turned towards the seer. "By the way, you could have warned us that they were going to try and poison me." She said agitated.

"And push you down a flight of stairs." Dad finished.

"And ruin Amun's knight moment?" Alice asked.

"Knight moment?" I asked confused.

Alice smiled and clasped her hands together. Her eyes far away. "Yes, the moment where the knight comes to the rescue of his fair damsel in distress." She gave an exaggerated sigh as she eyes twinkled towards us.

"I'm not a damsel in distress." Leah growled.

Alice laughed. Her high voice filling the room before it was chocked off. I heard her gasp. A dramatic horrified noise. I turned to look at her glassy eyes as my father's own eyes widened then narrowed.

"Alice?" Jasper asked as he ran into the room. "What was it?"

"Clara," I saw Seth tense as his love's name came through Alice's lips, "dies." Her shaky voice finished.

* * *

*Laughing Histerically as Michaela tried to kill me* Sorry. Well, slightly sorry to end it that way. I will not make you wait another week thought. Scout's Honor. Well, not that I ever was a scout, but you know what I mean. Anyway, enjoy this short preview to the next twisty chapter! *snickering at plot* Bye, bye!

8 ~ Family

Ok, I was confused. I admit it, alright. No, I didn't want to be, but there was no way around it. There before me was the rogue who had attacked Jake. The one who had first started our problems in Hamlet. The one whose scent seemed to disappear the second you noticed it. Why were we not attacking him again?

My whole body was tingling with the barely repressed pulse. It took all the discipline I had not to give in and attack the rogue. Heck, I was about to anyway. But, I knew I couldn't. First off, he would notice if I was suddenly missing even if he didn't know what had happened. Secondly, Leah would know what I was doing and stop me. It wasn't worth the risk to her pack. That risk just happened to be a human girl with pale blond hair standing far to close to the vampire with red eyes.

"Clara, please come back over hear." Seth begged the girl whose eyes never left the red eyes glaring down at her.


	9. 8: Family

AN: GA! Please don't kill me! *begging* I don't really know what happened. I was trying to focus on writing this chapter. I knew how it was going to end, but the middle was just so hard! :( I couldn't figure out how to connect the two pieces I had created, and I got caught in a great fanfic. So, though I hate excuses those are mine. I hope that this chapter makes up for you having to wait. Please enjoy. ^^ Happy moments and Plot moments in a single chapter! Who could ask for more?

Oh! I just want to remind you of the rating. This is rated M for a reason. *grinning* no, sorry no lemons, but definitely some adult situations. Also for violence, little graphic action, and cursing. Please don't read if you think it will give you nightmares! (aka little kiddies too young to be reading this story!)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the plot, characters, or themes of the Twilight Saga. Honestly, if I did, why would I be here? *sigh* These awesome characters belong to Mrs. Meyer alone. I am not trying to infringe on her. Promise!

* * *

8 ~ Family

My head whipped around as a sound completely feral and animalistic ripped from Seth's throat. His body was vibrating far too hard. _Shit!_ With a violent ripping noise, a wolf took his place. His wild eyes searched for a way out. He bounded to the door before anyone else could react, which was extremely fast given most of the company could move at vampire speed.

"Jake, I know you don't like to use the Command, but he cannot go to Clara now." Dad said quickly.

Jake's eyes flashed. "I cannot do anything that might harm his imprint."

"Get him." My dad growled. "We have time before they get here. We cannot have him do anything reckless until we know more."

Jake gave him one more hard glance before he too was bounding outside. I didn't take long for me to hear a wailing sound echo through the forest. Seth was in pain. I saw my mom cringe.

"Who is it, Alice? Volutri?" Grandfather Carlisle asked.

Alice couldn't answer her hands grasping at her head tightly. Her eyes completely unfocused. She was muttering what sounded like curses under her breath.

"Edward?" Grandfather turned to him instead.

Dad was frowning. "I don't understand." His eyes met Grandfather's. "It's the Egyptians."

I saw the spark of something I didn't understand lit Grandfather's eyes. "Why would the Egyptians harm her?"

Dad looked back at Alice his frown deepening. "From what I saw, it looked like," he shook his head; still trying to understand, "Carlisle, it was too random for me to make much sense of. Case was there with three Egyptians that usually handle problems over here."

"It must have something to do with his work then." Jasper surmised.

Dad nodded. "I think so. There was another vampire there as well. I have never seen him before."

"What did he look like?" Rose asked.

"Middle aged, white male with short salt and pepper hair. Red eyes. Oddly civilized clothes, but nothing too distinctive. Though I have seen very few who make the change at that age. Most die before the process is complete."

Grandfather nodded. "I have met only a couple myself. What part did this new vampire play?"

Dad frowned. "I don't know. He was standing there watching as Case burned Clara." I saw Leah's fists close. She was angry. I shared that anger. I didn't know Clara very well, but she didn't deserve to burn to death. I mentally shuddered at the scene playing before my eyes.

"Is that it?" Grandmother Esme said with a frown.

Alice's eyes come back, but I was frightened by the emotion in them. "Yes, I can't see anything anymore. The second Seth made a break for it, the vision disappeared into that cloudy hazy mess."

"Carlisle, I don't think Jake, Seth, or Leah will want Clara to go back home with this mess. I think she should come here so that we can keep a closer, safer eye on her." Dad suggested as Leah nodded.

A small frown graced Grandfather's face, "Her father will not be pleased with us kidnapping his daughter."

"She could just come over to spend the night right? I'm sure she could tell her father that. Besides the weekend is coming up. It'll be fine." Nessie hedged, but I could see the worry in her eyes. Despite Clara being a human, I knew Nessie cared for her deeply.

"You are sure she knows nothing about us?" Jasper asked my father.

"I'm positive. She has no idea what's coming for her."

"Do you think that we can keep up the façade with something like this coming?" Mom asked in a worried tone. "If she found out, it would be easier to protect her." She said as she stole a glance in my direction.

"Until the Volutri find out." Dad said as he shot Mom a look that held a deeper meaning. There was so much I didn't know about my human mother. This was just another thing.

"Why don't we just change her first?" Emmett said.

"NO!" I saw startled at the wide-eyed look Leah possessed. "No." She said lower, but with more menace.

"Leah?" I put a soothing hand on her arm. It did nothing to stop her wild gaze.

"You cannot turn her." Her voice dropped to a terrified whisper. She shivered. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed my father flinch.

"Leah, why?" Mom asked gently trying to calm her.

"What do you think the imprint is for? To let us pass on the strongest genes! Do you have any idea what it would do to him for her to loose the reason why he imprinted on her?" She shivered again as if imagining it happening to her. "It could damage the imprint, it could damage my brother. Please, don't even think about it."

Could you really break an imprint? How much pain would that involve? I hadn't even thought of it like that, but it was obvious to me that Leah's reaction wasn't normal. It was instinctive. Changing Clara was now out of the question. This had got immensely more difficult.

"So we would have to pretend to be human the whole time? With vampires coming for her? Why don't we make this even harder?!" Rose exclaimed throwing her hands up in frustration.

"How long till they get here?" Mom asked.

"I would say two days is the least, three at the max. So either, Saturday, or Sunday." Dad said.

"It was night." Alice added.

That didn't give us much time. My mind wandered to my still developing skills. I hadn't tried anything as large as a human yet, and wasn't sure if I could manage it. Especially if it came to a fight. It was significantly harder to keep up the cloak when my pulse was raised. I wasn't especially thrilled about a fight. I knew Emmett, Jasper, and probably Jake wouldn't mind, but I didn't want to loose one of my family. _If I lost Leah now…_ I let that thought trail off unsure if I wanted to know where it led. But the thought alone made my hands instinctively flex to grab her. To bring her closer to me, to make her safe. I couldn't loose her. I needed her to be complete. If I thought about it, I supposed it would seem depressing how attached I was, but it wasn't to me. It was just the reality of our relationship. My eyes were drawn back to Leah. She looked tired and worried. I didn't want her to look like that.

I noticed Leah yawn. Sure she would be tired; she had to put up with the Terrible Two trying to poison her and an attack on a future member of her pack. I nudged her in the side. She looked back at me. "What?" She whispered. The rest of the family was deep into what ifs.

"Wanna go up to my room?" I said with a lopsided grin I had picked up from my father. I wanted to mess with Leah's mind for a while. To get her off such distressing thoughts. Plus, it was so much fun.

She blinked at me for a second before her eyes sparkled. "You mean," she bit her lip and cast a quick glance at my father who took that moment to let out a large sigh.

"For the love of- Leah," he growled as he focused his golden, annoyed eyes at my mate, "please keep those thoughts to yourself and you know the rule!"

I laughed at where Leah's mind had taken her, pleased at how much I could affect her. She glared almost sheepishly at me, obviously embarrassed about how she had taken my comment. "In a hurry?" I whispered in her ear as her scent surrounded me.

I felt the heat rise to her cheeks. Her pulse heightened pushing a stronger wave of her scent towards me. I drank her in and felt at home, at peace. "Amun." Her growl did nothing to faze me. In fact, being as close as I was, it only made me want "alone time" sooner. I took her hand and lead her upwards to my private floor tired of being around the adults.

"Don't you think we should stay?" She asked with a backwards glance.

"You didn't see Jake and Nessie leave five minutes ago?"

"What?! Jake should havebeen there. That idiot Alpha neglecting his pack." She finished in a mumble.

I shrugged. "I can't blame him for wanting some time with Nessie." I felt better now that I had some physical contact with her, but it wasn't enough tonight. "Let the parents worry. We're teenagers. Didn't you learn what teenagers do? It's all they talk about in Sex Ed." I teased again.

"Amun, quit that. You're going to make me sic Edward on us again."

"You need to learn how to manage your thoughts. I never knew you had such a dirty mind." I smirked down at her.

"Like yours is any better, the only reason you don't have your father breathing down you back is because of your gift." She fired back.

"True." I conceded as we entered my room. I tossed Leah on the bed which I had neglected to make that morning. She bounced once before I was on top of her. _Enough playing._

"Am-" I didn't let her finish. I had been deprived of her touch for too long. Far too long. My lips crashed down against hers. Her lips parted with a sigh. I drank in her earthen scent. Her warm hands moved up my arms to the back of my head. She fisted it and brought me closer to her. We stayed that way, drinking in each other slowly until she arched her body into mine. That extra touch sent a jolt of electricity through me. I parted from her lips with a gasp and looked, probably crazed, back at her.

Her hair was fanned out in a dark curtain around her head. Her eyes were dark, filled with passion I hadn't known she possessed a couple days ago. My eyes traveled down to her pink swollen lips that parted with her ragged breathing. I felt my blood start rushing downward. _Damn hormones._

My eyes quickly were brought back to her lips as they twitched into a smirk. One of her hands drifted back to my face as hot searing fire was left in its wake. How did she do that? "Amun…" her voice was deep, silken. I was so in over my head. Her hand traveled to the front of my shirt and fisted. She pulled me towards her. "Come back here."

Like I had a choice now. I found myself completely unable to resist her request as I captured her lips again. She groaned in pleasure. I moved my lips down to her throat placing feather light kisses on her jaw as I went. Her hands moved to my back and pressed me down, urging me to close the small distance between us. If it was what she wanted, I found I couldn't refuse. I closed the distance and suddenly I was completely aware of every part of her body as it pressed against mine with her quick breaths. It was then I found the area I had been searching for – her collar bone. That piece of flesh had been tempting me for way too long.

I gave it all the attention it deserved, kissing and sucking on it. I found a vein and let my lips rest against it to feel her pulse. Her breathing hitched. "Amun?" I smirked against her skin and nipped at her flesh. She gasped. "Amun!" Her voice frantic despite the residual pleasure.

"I was just teasing." I soothed her as I came back to her lips. "Were you scared?" I asked with a kiss as I looked into her dark, deep pools.

She looked back and bit her lip. "I liked it." My mind went blank for a minute as more blood went southward. _Damn her_. She took advantage of my moment and flipped us so that she was on top. Her eyes looked cautiously at me. "Stay still." She commanded.

I did my best impression of a vampire and lay immobile as she moved her hands to the bottom of my T-shirt. I raised my eyebrow but otherwise didn't move. She said nothing but moved the corner of it up. "Leah."

In a flash, my shirt was off and Leah was sitting up staring at my pale chest. She let out a shuddered breath as her eyes raked over my exposed skin. "See something you like?" I teased her probably a little too huskily. I was having trouble controlling my breathing. Her eyes flashed up to mine only for a moment.

"Yes." She hissed as her hands connected with my lower chest. My muscles rippled under her touch. Her warm hands glided upwards as she caressed my skin. It was becoming extremely hard to stay immobile under her soft assault. She had to know what she was doing to me. I closed my eyes to saver her touch when I felt her hot breath against my own neck. My eyes shot open before she connected. Her warm lips brushed gently around my neck and shoulder. I melted under her touch. Damn she was good. As she kissed, I moved my own hands to caress her body. They started at her waist as I marveled at how small she seemed with my hands around her. I moved them up and down knowing that I wouldn't be able to control myself if I took her shirt off.

Suddenly, I felt her hands dipped to the button of my pants. I surge of raw male emotion was almost too much for me to control. My arms locked securely around her so much smaller wrists. She stilled and looked back up at me. Her eyes glazed. She had lost control. I smirked. I reveled in the fact that I had better control than Leah.

"Amun," her low, sultry, confused voice whispered, "what's wrong?"

"Leah, I have one word for you." I replied as I tried to imagine it was my sister on top of me. It allowed me to keep my very small control. The image was so _wrong_.

"What is it?" She asked as her lips connected with my jaw line again, her body dipping down against mine. Her hair created a curtain that seemed to separate us from the rest of the world. Her scent seemed amplified, but I could still think, thankfully.

"Edward." I said quickly as my control started snapping.

She kept kissing my face as she answered. "What does you fath-" I heard her gasp as she shot upwards. Her eyes wide. She blinked down at me. I raised my eyebrow.

"You ok?" I asked her as my lips formed a wry smile.

She looked down at her still encircled wrists. "Damn," she looked up sheepishly from under her eyelashes. The expression so much more arousing when she did it than Charlotte did. "Sorry, Amun, I lost control again."

"I noticed. Wonder why Dad didn't come in."

She looked embarrassed. "I didn't have any coherent thoughts. He probably thought I was sleeping."

"I doubt he thought that." I commented with a slight chuckle.

She sighed as her shoulders slumped. "Can you let me go now?"

I shook my head and tugged her hands down. She moved back down and lay beside me. My hands released her wrists only to move around to her back. Her face rested against my exposed chest. Her warm breath fanned across it. "Never." I said into her hair.

One of her hands moved lazily across my chest until it wrapped across the expanse. I brought the blanket to cover us. "Good." I heard her mumble sleepily into my chest.

A wide grin spit across my face as her breath evened out into sleep. I lay trying to calm my body down for a while, contented to just watch her sleep before I felt my own body pulling towards rest. For the third time I could remember, I rested completely at ease.

I awoke when the left side of my body was suddenly cold. I blinked as I noticed Leah rummaging in my closet. I frowned. "Leah, come back here." I commanded.

She turned around. Her hair messy and her clothes crinkly from sleep. It was her eyes that made me smile. They were light and happy. Leah never really showed her happiness like that. "Mind if I borrow a shirt?" She asked.

"You might as well move all your clothes over." I said as I got out of bed. Leah's eyes went again to my exposed chest. She eyed it hungrily. It took her a second to respond.

"Why?" She asked when she was finally able to look back into my eyes.

I raised an eyebrow. "You aren't expecting to sleep in your room again are you?"

A pleased smile pulled her lips upward. I noticed they were still a little swollen. "You want me to stay?" Her voice sounded more excited than I had ever heard it.

I rolled my eyes. "No, Leah," I saw her eyes fall, "I announce my love for you, sleep with you three times, and make out last night, yet I don't want you to stay permanently. Are you insane?" I asked as my hands looped around her waist locking her to me.

Her eyes took on a mischievous glint. She curled her hands around my neck and pushed herself up so that her lips rested on my neck. Then she bit me.

"OW!" I exclaimed in shock as my hand went to cover my exposed neck. "What was that for?" I asked the smirking wolf girl in front of me.

"Payback, did you see what you did to my neck?" She pointed to the already fading burse on her collarbone. Something completely testosterone based inside me was pleased at my mark on her. It would warn others to stay away from her. She was mine and now everyone could see. I frowned at how light it was. _Guess I'll have to mark her more often._ I smirked at the thought.

"What?" She asked curiously.

I shook my head and placed my lips against her soft forehead. "Nothing, but you better get down stairs before the boys start yelling again."

She rolled her eyes, let of a long-suffering sigh, but agreed although very reluctantly. "Yeah, yeah."

Her fingers lingered over my chest as she moved towards my door. I watched as she pulled the crumpled T-shirt off her body. I felt blood pulsing extra quickly with my heart rate as she displayed her exposed back to me. The only fabric covering it being the small strips of her lacy black bra. She slipped on the oversized T-shirt and for the first time I was extremely pleased it didn't fit her very becoming curves.

"Bye, bye." She said as she closed the door. It didn't take a mind reader to know she had been teasing me. I ran a frustrated hand threw my hair as I resigned myself for a very cold shower. A very long cold shower. With one last curse directed at my wolf, I moved towards my private shower.

I was shaking my wet hair when I entered the kitchen. Leah had long finished cooking and eating breakfast. Alice was busy on some strange new hair creation as Nessie talked with Jake and Seth. They were discussing what to do with Clara when she got here.

"I think we should just chill in the house." Seth said obviously worried about putting her at risk.

"Awwww!" Nessie wined. "That's no fun." Her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as she locked eyes with the Alpha. "I know! We should take her to the pool."

Leah's eyebrows twitched upwards. "Pool?" She asked incredulously. "What pool?"

Nessie turned her overly bright eyes towards Leah. "The one Jake and I found the other night." I had to stop the chuckle that threatened to escape my lips as I noticed Dad's murderous glare at Jake who didn't dare make eye contact but I figured was apologizing nonstop in his head while trying not to relive whatever they did.

I looked at Leah to notice her too trying to hold back her laughter. It was too much as Seth looked our way. All three of us lost the shaky control and burst out laughing. Nessie cocked her head as a quizzical look overtook her features. "What?"

"Never mind." Jake said with a mini, annoyed glare towards us.

"So the pond?" Mom came to Jake's rescue before Nessie could ask again. It worked as Nessie took a deep breath obviously intent on a long, probably excited, explanation. I was not disappointed.

"OH! Mom," she gushed, "it was so beautiful! A little less than a mile northeast of here. I know we don't normally hunt up there, so that's why we hadn't found it. But it was _so_ cute. There's even a mini waterfall," her eyes had turned wistful and vacant, much like Alice's when she got on a tangent about overpriced shoes. I sighed. "It was natural where this large rock had been eroded over time, you know. It was really slick. The algae made the rock look green. The water was cool too. Not like shower water, not like rain water either. It smelt different!"

"Hey, Nessie, I think it's time for school." I hedged when she took a breath. She looked over to me with a frown.

"I haven't finished."

"You don't want to see Clara?" I asked with a slightly upset look on my face, correction, _fake_ slightly upset look on my face.

"NO! That's not it. I was just telling Mom-" her eyes lighted up with a sudden thought, "I know! I can finish on the way to school." Nessie turned her attention back to Mom. "Can you ride in the Jeep?" She grimaced. "I _cannot_ ride in the _Volvo_." She shot Dad a mortified look. I sighed. She was such a kid. I wondered how Jake put up with her, then remembered he wasn't much better.

"Sure, I don't mind." Mom said as she patted Nessie's golden locks. Dad looked up at me.

"Do you mind riding with me, Amun? The jeep would be too crowded."

I felt a cold hand wrap its way around my arm, forcing me towards the cars. "Of course he doesn't mind, Edward. I have something I need to talk to him about anyway." Alice finished as I sighed. I tossed a look back at Leah which read: you-know-how-Alice-gets-I'm-sorry-talk-to-you-later. The smirk and falsely cheery wave that she threw back reminded me of how sarcastic she was.

"Have a good day at school." Grandmother smiled from the porch steps before she rushed back in probably making sure the house was presentable for our guest. Not there was ever a speck of dust in the first place.

I turned my attention to Alice. "What did you need, Alice?" I looked back to see her frowning. Her eyes glassy again. "Alice?"

She huffed and turned toward me. "What?"

"You ok?" I asked her cautiously

"No!" Alice's voice rang out. "I can't see anything clearly. I can't help my family." I felt a sudden wave of self-hatred. It was because I was a half that Alice couldn't see. If I had been a normal vampire, or even a human, she could use her ability just fine. But she couldn't, because I existed.

"Amun." I caught my father's eye through the review mirror. "Don't blame yourself for Alice's outbursts." _How does he do that?_ Dad claimed he couldn't read my mind, but honestly I didn't believe him at times likes these. Probably had help from Jasper who was feeding the car with waves of relaxation.

"Alice, what did you want to talk to me about?" I asked before she could speak.

She furrowed her eyes like she was trying to remember something. "Oh, that's right." She gave me a huge smile that showed off all the teeth. "I just wanted to sit with you today!"

I looked at her incredulously. "Really." I deadpanned. She nodded her head, but I looked to my father for conformation. He gave a lopsided smile that I knew too well and shook his head. I frowned. He and Alice were too close. I could never use one against the other.

"Well," she looked down slyly then looked up from under her lashes which she batted at me. She looked like an evil pixy. I knew Alice too well to fall for her charms. "There _was_ something else."

"What is it, Alice?" I asked hoping it didn't involve new clothing.

"You see, there's a dance coming up." She began.

"I know, Alice." I said loosing my patience. Why did she have to bring up that stupid dance? Then it hit me. "Oh, no." I told her.

She frowned. "You don't even know what I was going to ask."

"Like Hell I don't!" I exclaimed as my own visions of what Alice wanted to put me through came to my mind. "I am not going shopping with you!" I stated a little nervously. Alice always got her way in the end.

That deceivingly innocent smile adorned her features. "It wouldn't take long. Only a small fitting. I already have the tux ordered."

I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. "Damn, Leah was right." I couldn't believe her. Alice had done it again. Well, I was not giving in. "No. I am not going to the fitting. I know you'll end up making it into some big shopping spree."

Alice's eyes drooped a bit. A forlorn façade tookover her face. I had to pull my eyes away or I knew I would give in. "Amun." She whimpered. _Control. Control. She's an evil shopping addict. Ignore. Ignore. _I was doing really well at ignoring her when she hit below the belt. "Leah wants you to do it."

I whipped my eyes back around to her. "What?" I asked slightly breathless.

"Leah would be upset if you didn't dress up too." Alice explained with that sweet, evil smile on her face.

"Probably just wants me to share in her misery too." I grumbled.

Alice pretended she didn't hear my complaint. "You don't want Leah to be angry at you, do you?" I gritted my teeth together. No, I couldn't stand it if she was mad at me. Even the thought made my body ache in pain. Damn, imprints were hard to handle.

"No." I admitted to the car window as we pulled into the parking lot. It dawned on me that Dad had driven slower today. Sometimes his closeness with Alice really ticked me off.

Alice made a high-pitch sound of excitement. "Yay! I knew you would come around."

"Yeah, yeah." I grumbled as I got out of the Volvo. The wolves had already gotten here. Probably passed Dad while Alice was busy coercing me into doing her every bidding.

A warm hand pressed against my own as I wallowed in self-pity. None of these humans had to put of with an unstoppable force like Alice. Why did the world hate me so? "Why are you sulking?" Leah asked.

I looked moodily back at her. "Alice."

The knowing look on her face did nothing to dislodge my mood. "I wondered when she would get you."

"Why didn't you warn me?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Would it have really helped? You know Alice always gets her way." Yeah, I definitely knew that. We walked silently into the school.

My first class was relatively calm. I was surprised that I saw neither Charlotte nor Amanda, though I was certainly not complaining. It was as I entered Sex Education that I found out why my morning had been so pleasant.

"Um, ah, Amun." I heard a timid, slightly frightened voice ask quietly from behind me.

I looked behind me to see one of what I called the "fainters." These girls were just as obsessed with me as Amanda and Charlotte, but seemed like they couldn't get close to me without feeling lightheaded. It actually happened one morning. I walked too close to one of them, and the girl let out a squeak before she collapsed towards the ground. Luckily, a friend of hers caught her before she hit the hard cement.

"Yes?" I asked softly hoping she would have an attack and pass out.

Her light green eyes widened, and her breathing hitched. She started picking at the bottom of her shirt as she looked at the ground. I heard her take in a shaky breath before she spoke. "Did you hear a-about wh-what happen to-to Charlotte?"

I had to physically fight the smirk that threatened to lift my lips. "No, what happened?" I asked with as much fake concern as I could manage.

"Sh-she went to the C-Classy Sass-sy last night. She was d-d-d-drugged!" She said to the floor.

"Is she alright?"

The girl shook her head. "No, Am-Amanda tired to he-help her-r, bu-but they fell-ll down the stairs. Amanda bro-broke her le-eg. Char-Charlotte is still in-in the hospital with an ove-overdose."

"Well that doesn't sound good." I commented.

She shook her head. "No-no. It-it's terr-terrible." _Just like they are_. I added in my head.

"Thanks for telling me, I'll see you later." I said with a genuine smile towards her. After all, she had given me valuable information.

She looked up in time to see the smile which caused me to instantly regret my decision. Why? She fainted. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she fell towards the ground. _Fainters_. I grumbled as I picked her up before she spilt her head opened and started bleeding. I wasn't sure if I could handle that. I sighed as I walked towards the nurse's office. These girls were troublesome. Leah might get mad at me for skipping Sex Education.

"Oh dear," the kind nurse said as I lay the girl down on the bed, "she fainted?"

I nodded and left. Strangely enough the day seemed to pass in a blur after that till lunch where it slowed just enough for Seth to convince Clara to come spend the night.

"No, Seth, you know my father won't let me." She said so subdued she sounded like someone had died. I hadn't noticed such a public display of the imprint since Nessie was little. It was slightly bizarre.

"Aw! Come on, Clara. Please, you can spend the night with me. It can be a girl's night in!" Nessie said from behind her in the lunch line.

I felt the waves of calm mixed with excitement flow over me and was surprised to see that Jasper had decided to help too. I saw Clara visibly relax. Her eyes stayed on the floor though as we lead her to our table. She looked up startled to see she had been steered towards the vampires – not that she knew what they were. Mom gave a huge smile that Alice mirrored almost completely. "Hi! You are coming over to our house tonight right?" Mom asked in a mock whisper. Her golden eyes twinkling with mischief.

"I can't." Clara explained again.

Alice looked hurt. I wasn't sure if it was genuine or acting, probably a mix of both. "Really? That's so sad. We had this big night planned. Didn't we Bella?" Alice said with a conspiratorial look towards my mother.

"We were going to go down for a swim with the boys." Mom explained.

Rose curved her lips into an elegant smile. "It's always fun when Alice dresses us." _Since when did Rose care?_

I saw Clara bit her lip. She looked conflicted. Seth took the moment to drape a massive arm around her shoulder. "It will be lots of fun. I promise." He said gently into her ear. Everyone at the table heard her heart rate accelerate just before a fresh wave of her waterfall scent crashed over us.

"Oh, yeah!" Nessie started. Everyone turned to her. "There's a rock side that looks like a waterfall. You have to come!!!"

I saw Clara's eyes widen a little in anticipation before she turned them down submissively again. Damn she was a good girl. The next words that came from her mouth were so low, I wasn't sure if she had expected us to hear them. "Father said he would be gone on a trip until tomorrow."

Seth's eyes practically glowed. "Awesome! You could come over and leave before he gets back. He wouldn't even have to know."

She looked up into his eyes and in that moment Jasper sent a wave of contentment over us all, not that the two needed it. "Yes." She replied breathlessly as a goofy grin split her face. Seth's answering one was just a large.

Alice and Nessie let out squeals of excitement and began into what would need to be accomplished for this monumental event. I rolled my eyes until the caught on the dark eyes that made my heart skip a beat. She grinned. "You know what this means right?" She asked as she sat down and snuggled into my neck. I tried to stop the sounds that would give away what she was going to me again.

"No, what?" I asked into her hair.

I could practically feel the grin that I knew was on her face. "Swimsuits."

My eyes practically popped out of my head. The little blood trying to make my brain work went southward as visions of Leah in a swimsuit filled my head. I noticed I wasn't the only one who had caught her explanation. In fact, it looked to me like all the males would be enjoying tonight.

_The calm before the storm…_ My mind reminded me. I tensed as Leah looked up. I had almost forgotten what this was really about. I turned my head towards Clara. She was busy talking, laughing, and enjoying the company of my family. It was strange to me that she was human but yet not repulsed by the true vampires. Could she just be like my mother? Could horrible things just follow her around? Somehow at this point, I wouldn't doubt it. But seeing her right then as she looked as quickly as she could back at Seth hoping to go unnoticed, I realized I didn't want her to die. I looked around at the other humans in the room. Did any of the really deserve to die by something they didn't even believed existed? No, they didn't.

When I had thought about drinking from humans before, I had thought about it as if someone I loved was the one who had been drained. I had known that I would never want Leah taken from me like that. But somehow, now I felt a deeper resolve to keep them alive. It wasn't just because they could be someone's mate; it was because they didn't deserve to die. Even if they were ignorant, they deserved a chance at life, at happiness.

Strange how time passes. Before I knew it school was over and we boys and been shooed out to the pool while the girls got dressed. We had horsed around for almost a full hour before the girls showed up. They were covered with towels so we could only see their exposed arms and legs. Even still it was arousing. Leah smirked at me as she dropped the towel to the forest floor. I swear if I hadn't been in cold water and my father's hand on my shoulder to keep me in place, I would have attacked Leah right then and there. She seemed just as enthralled with me despite the fact that my black short covered way more than her string bikini did.

That night was filled with laughs, jokes, friends, family, and love. Before I knew it the night was coming to a close. When Carlisle called us back to the house for bed, I couldn't remember being as filled as I was then. I was contented. After a chaste goodnight kiss, Leah had gone to Nessie's room where the girls were having their sleep over. I decided to go on a last minute hunt with the guys before I too went to sleep. From what I had overheard, Alice thought it would be tomorrow not Sunday that the vampires would come. I wanted to be as prepared as I could. Soon after I got back, I was asleep. My body seemed to know I would need extra sleep for tomorrow.

My eyes snapped open to the dark, cloud covered morning. Even as I woke, I knew something was … off. I couldn't lay my finger on what it was other than the fact that I felt like I would loose control at every slight movement. I hadn't been this flighty since birth. I dressed quickly and headed down stairs. Most of the vampire family was already in the living room. Alice looked stress and so did Dad.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Alice's eyes turned towards mine and lost the glassy look. "Amun, good, you're up."

I glanced quickly around and noticed Nessie and Clara were still missing. Seth was pacing quickly back and forth. His arms tingling. I frowned. "Are they coming?" I asked surprised. Alice had said that they would be here at night. It was seemed more like early morning to me.

"Someone is." Alice said. "I can't make out completely what's going on, but from the first vision, I believe it's the unknown vampire – the one who watched."

"Can't Dad hear him yet?" I questioned slightly surprised.

"I can't tell how far away he is; there's something very strange about his mind." Dad said towards the front of the house.

"Strange how?" My ability pulsed harder reminding me it would always be ready.

"It's almost nonexistent. Feeble. Muted." His eyes traveled to meet mine. "Or covered."

I knew of one other thing that seemed to have those characteristics. The rogue vampire that had been evading us in Hamlet from the beginning. "No way! Is this the same one that got Jake?" My eyes pealed over to study him. He looked ticked, but in far more control than Seth who looked read to take on a coven of vampire all by himself.

"Nothing is certain now." Jasper replied.

This was much sooner than I had expected. Way sooner. I was suddenly extremely apprehensive. Why would one vampire knowingly go into another's claimed territory knowing they would be outnumbered? This didn't make any sense to me. From the expressions on the other's faces, it didn't make since to them either. Dad seemed to tense for a second.

"He's coming into the clearing." He told us almost too soft and quick for me to hear.

"What about Clara?" Seth's nervous voice asked.

"Nessie will keep her inside."

"Please, tell me this means I can phase." Seth begged.

"No," Jasper commanded, "there can be no slip ups. Clara can have no exposure if we want to make sure the Volutri doesn't return."

Seth whimpered but didn't disagree. I knew his main concern was Clara's safety. We slipped as silently as possible out unto the porch as the whisper soft footsteps of a true vampire entered the clearing in front of our house. He was much bolder than I had expected. He moved until he was about five feet away from the front porch. I stayed back towards the shadows, but I knew his crimson eyes had spotted me in an instant. Judging by the vivid color of his eyes, he had recently fed.

His clothes were just as Dad had described. He looked more like an older lawyer than a vampire. He was even wearing shoes. I frowned. Was he more permanent than we had originally thought? Most of the rogues that I had met didn't wear shoes. His salt and pepper hair betrayed his age as did the slight pooch at his midsection. For a vampire, I had to admit he was among the plainest I had ever met.

His eyes landed on the calm golden ones of my Grandfather.

"Carlisle Cullen," his voice far from velvet or melodic sounds I was used to was harsh and coarse, "where is she?" The man's voice seemed to grate against my instincts. There was such an undertone of menace in it.

"Where is who?" Carlisle asked politely.

His eyes went wild. They raked across the front of the house and narrowed on the room I knew Clara to be in. "CLARA!!!" His voice bellowed through the clearing.

I heard a squeak from the upper floors followed by the sounds of two girls franticly whispering too softly even for my instincts to hear. I heard my sister gasp and turned to look at my father whose body was much, much too rigid. Clara came bounding out of the house then. I saw Seth try to take a step towards her, but without exposing everything, he wouldn't be able to reach her in time to stop her. Why was she running towards him anyway?

My father seemed still too busy processing whatever he had just heard to stop her. Since he made no move, none of us did either. Clara was allowed to run down the stairs with her head down, bowed in a similar submissive position. The second her eyes looked up she gasped.

"Father?"

The effect her one word had on me was like being hit by a ton of bricks. This was her father?! _HER FATHER IS A VAMPIRE!!!!!!_ I felt a snarl building up in my throat, but I held it back barely. She had betrayed us hadn't she? _She couldn't have kept this from Dad._ That thought stopped the frantic pulsing trying to break through my mental barriers. Dad had vouched for her. She hadn't known. It was then that little things clicked in my head. Small things she had said ran back through my mind and now I was shocked I hadn't realized it before.

Clara hadn't betrayed us, but her father was not our friend. No, no matter how innocent Clara was, her father was different. This was the man who had bitten and almost killed Jake. We shouldn't forgive him for that should we? My mind was going around in dizzying circles as Clara spoke again.

"You can see!" She looked so excited I was thrown back into my conflicting thoughts.

Ok, I was confused. I admit it, alright. No, I didn't want to, but there was no way around it. There before me was the rogue who had attacked Jake. The one who had first started our problems in Hamlet. The one who's scent seemed to disappear the second you noticed it. Why were we not attacking him again? Oh right, Clara.

My whole body was tingling with the barely repressed pulse. It took all the discipline I had not to give in and attack the rogue. Heck, I was about to anyway. It had tried to kill Jake! But, I knew I couldn't. First off, he would notice if I was suddenly missing even if he didn't know what had happened. Secondly, Leah would know what I was doing and stop me. It wasn't worth the risk to her pack. That risk just happened to be a human girl with pale blond hair standing far to close to the vampire with red eyes.

"Clara, please come back over here." Seth begged the girl whose eyes never left the red eyes glaring down at her.

Clara's father whipped his eyes to focus on Seth. The bone chilling glare he sent Seth would have rivaled any I had ever seen. I was pretty sure I lost control for a second. He hissed and moved Clara behind him. "You will stay away from my child, wolf." His coarse voice demanded.

I saw Seth shaking so bad that I knew he was going to phase. There was no way he could hold on to control in this type of situation, but he surprised me. He held himself together just long enough for Carlisle to begin to speak again.

"We will not hurt Clara."

"Father," Clara said as she put a placating hand on the red-eyed vampire. I flinched. This was not safe no matter how full he was. "Seth is my friend. Please, I sorry I lied to you. Don't get too mad at them."

"Why are you associating with these?"

Clara's blush made most of us cringe. This was NOT good. Who knew when he would loose control and bit her? "Well, Seth and I are" she bit her lip before whispering, "dating."

"_Do you realize just what he is_?" The rogue hissed.

Clara frowned. "What do you mean?"

"NO!" Seth barked.

A demonic smile lifted his lips. "Your boyfriend is a _werewolf_." Clara stared blankly at him as his hand whipped out to gesture to all of us on the porch. "And these friends of yours, Golden Eyes." He snorted. "Vegetarian Vampires." His harsh voice mocking.

Her mouth opened in a small 'o' of surprise before she closed her eyes and crumpled towards the forest floor. _Damn!_ She had feinted.

"Do you know why anyone would want to hurt Clara?" Carlisle asked the vampire who was holding the human girl to his chest. The vampire turned his lurid eyes towards us slowly.

"Are you threatening me?"

Alice stepped forward. "I have seen Clara's death. You will stand by and watch it. Who would wish to do this?" She said getting down to the point quickly before this standoff escalated to a fight.

The vampire kept his lips pressed into a thin line and turned around to leave when I noticed Dad nod to Nessie. My brow furrowed as she moved her hand to his cheek. A second later she released it almost like she had been shocked. What had she shown Dad? That was the last thought I had before the world around me shimmered and disappeared. _WHAT?!_

_The sun was beating down on me again. I snorted, like that was any different than any other day out here in this withering heat. Why was I even here again? I looked up from the ruins I had been excavating to notice the hot, bright sun slowly sliding over the dunes of sand. Another day in Egypt and I was no closer to the artifact I was searching for. I bent back down hoping to get a few more hours in before it was too late. I wanted to get this done so I could go back home to my family._

"_Dan!" I looked up as one of the college students tried to flag me down. They were such a waste. No creativity at all. No belief in the unnatural anymore either._

"_What?" I called back to him irritated he had stopped me._

"_We are all heading back in for the night. Are you coming?" He asked._

"_No, leave me a truck I'm staying a little longer." I ordered._

"_Sir, you know that book doesn't exist." The sandy haired teen told me._

_Ha! Like he knew anything. "Whatever you say." I muttered as I got back to the ruins. _

_It was hours later. It was almost too dark, but I had made significant progress. The entire wall was excavated now. What was more were the hieroglyphics. I knew that goddess anywhere. Isis. My eyes widened at the artifact in her hands. A black square. My heart raced. This was more proof that it existed. I knew it!_

_I ran an egger hand over the marking and noticed the still perfect condition of it. It was so preserved! This could be it. I felt the grooves and noticed that the square artifact looked like it could be removed. I wasn't going to chance this. I had worked my entire career for this! Like Hell I would let one of the pathetic college students take this prize from me._

_I slipped the book out and the grating of stone against stone was the only sound to pierce the night. The second the rock slipped out of its place, I sat it down on the ground. My hands trembled as I took my flashlight and pointed it into the space. I was met by a back flat stone with ruin markings on it. My eyes widened as I took the thin stone book from its resting place. I had found it! Isis's book existed!_

_I hugged the treasure to my chest and knew I could never give it up. Isis's secret book was mine. I was the only one who believed it existed anyway. No one would know that it was gone. The sly smile slid back onto my face. I knew that I had always had success in keeping artifacts for myself. I had always been able to keep others from knowing I had taken them. I slipped the cold stone into my pack, replaced the stone, and got into the truck. _

The scene shifted again. Instead of the rugged desert, it seemed like I was inside a house. It was dark.

_I opened the travel pack and took out my treasure. My eyes looked over the cover in something near lust. Isis's book of names was mine. It was all mine. I caressed the cover one final time before I heard my wife. She seemed like she had been calling for me but stopped. I looked up annoyed at the distraction to yell at her, but my eyes met the most horrifying sight of my entire existence. Red, blood red, eyes hypnotized me. The demon was beautiful and captivating even thought my body screamed to be away from her._

"Dan…"_ cold fingers seemed to touch my very brain. I shivered. _"Dan, come with me…"_ The being in front of me had not spoken, but her command was something I couldn't fight. It was my own. I had to obey. My legs moved around my desk as I noticed in fear that the stone book was gone. That demon was holding it. When had that happened? _

"_You've been very bad." The woman's seductive voice purred at me. "You must be punished for taking our sacred texts." What was she?! _

_She was gone a second later._ "Come outside to see your family…"_My body instantly followed the directions. My mind was left unable to stop anything. This horror was happening. As I exited the house, my mind screamed in agony. My wife was in front of me with my daughter beside her. Neither of them was talking, but silent tears slid from their eyes. Two more of those red-eyed demons had their hair fisted to keep them in place. _

"_Do you know why this is happening to you, human?" One of the males asked._

_I couldn't speak, and I was positive he knew my body wouldn't react. They had does this to me. Was this a curse for taking Isis' book? I didn't believe in curses. I never had, but ancient myths were different. These being were not human. I had brought them to my family. It dawned on me that I wasn't going to live. They were going to kill me._

"_You never steal from Egyptians." The second male said as he grabbed my daughter's upper arm. Her eyes widened before her shriek of pain tore through me. My mind cringed away in agony, but I couldn't move._

"_Daddy." She cried. "Please make it stop."_

_The demon laughed harsh and cruel. "Don't worry. It will all be over soon." He said as he smashed his foot down on her femur. My darling daughter made no sound. Her eyes widened and she screamed without noise before her eyes rolled back in her head. A second later, they opened again. _

"_Tut, tut." The female scolded. "You cannot sleep yet. Don't you want to stay with you Dad a second longer before you die?"_

_That being was keeping my daughter awake for this pain even as she kept me firmly planted to the spot I was on. _

"_I'm getting bored. Kill them now." The first man ordered._

_The second's teeth bearing grin promised more pain for my daughter. He tore the limbs from her body as her ear-splitting screams filled the clearing. I felt the tears on my face as her eyes dimmed. To make sure she had died, they tore her head from her body. It rolled towards me. My wife screamed as they started biting her. BITING HER! They were sucking her blood. Oh, gods. These were some type of vampires. What had I done to deserve this? Hate boiled inside of me. I hated these being as they tore my wife's body to shreds why laughing. _

"Take the knife and end your life." _The order was too much for my brain to handle. I couldn't take anything more. They had destroyed my family. My daughter. My wife. For a book! _

_The woman gave a long suffering sigh. "He's pathetic. Already too shocked to answer my command." A wicked smirk pushed her lips upwards as she stalked to me. "I have a better punishment. With his body, he would never survive the change."_

_The second male, the one who had killed my wife and daughter laughed. "Bit him! Let him die by fire."_

_I felt her tear at my neck before her control on my mind slipped. I crashed to the floor, my eyes open unable to close. For my eyes were connected to the dead orbs of my only child. White hot fire licked at the wound on my neck before it seemed to combust and take over my wholebody. I was being burned! I screamed and breathed trying to get away from the paralyzing fire, but I couldn't. As the seconds past the only thing that held me to this world was the waterfall scent that my daughter's blood seemed to give off. With each passing second, I wanted to taste it more and more._

I blinked my eyes to clear them. _What was that? _I thought visibly shaking the vivid images away. Where those someone's memories? _Waterfall scent?_ My eyes whipped across the clearing where the vampire whose name I now knew was Dan Barton. He stood completely still.

"Who-" He snarled before I heard Nessie give a breathy laugh. She was cradled into Jake's lap. A broad grin on her face. _She did that?_

"It finally worked!" She said before she closed her eyes and her breathing slowed.

"What did she do?" Dan Barton snarled.

"She showed us why someone wants to kill Clara." Dad explained.

"They don't know I'm alive." He said as he clutched Clara a little too hard to his chest. I saw Seth loose control and rip apart. His keening sound begged the vampire not to hurt her.

"Yes, they do. They are coming for you today." Alice said.

"Have you seen this?" He asked. Apparently he had one his homework.

"Yes, but we can stop it."

"I don't need the help of Golden Eyes." He scoffed as he turned to leave. He was met by a ferocious growl from Seth who blocked his way. "Move, mutt." He glared.

"Seth will not let you leave alive with his imprint." Jake warned. "You have two choices. One, you let Clara go and we help you keep her safe. Two, you try and leave and force us to kill you for the Egyptians. Either way you are not leaving to be a fool. Vampires never give up grudges. You of all people should know that."

I could tell the rogue did not like his options but even he wasn't stupid. He turned around and walked quickly towards the house without a word. As he passed, his old, dying scent hit me again. It was so strange. I had no time to dwell on it though. Dad was calling for me.

"You will need to practice now. They will be coming soon."

I nodded accepting the responsibility that they were giving to me. The life of Clara Barton.

* * *

Ok people. That extremely hard to write chapter is finished! *frowning* I'm saddened! I don't ever make those demands on having 'insert number' reviews before I put up the next chapter, but honestly, where did those nice review people go? If you knew how much it means to me just to get a "I liked it," I know you would review more. I do this for my friends and of course you guys so that you can enjoy it, but even I can get discouraged. So many people read without reviewing. Its rather frustrating. *sigh* I'll stop ranting now. Just wanted to remind you guys how much review mean to us writers.

So, let me know what you thought. Did anyone expect the rogue to be Clara's adopted father? Eh? I would like to know. I thought I did a pretty good job camouflaging it, but you never know. *shrug* Later, alligators. I promise, promise, the next chapter will be up this weekend! I know only a couple of days since I'm not going home this weekend. I seem to have trouble concentrating there. Oh well...


	10. 9: Waiting Over

AN: ahahahahaha.... *scratching back of my head* well, I'm sorry. I don't really have a good excuse as to why this chapter too so damn long to get out other than the fact it just wouldn't come together. Wednesday, I realized why the major scene (if you didn't guess already its the final showdown between the Cullens and the Egyptians) wasn't working. I fixed it in a flurry of writing and now this is yours to enjoy. I'm really sorry again for it taking so long, but it is 17 pages on word so maybe that will make up for the long wait. Hopefully, it will meet your expectations.

Also I wanted to thank two reviews who I couldn't send a reply to so just ignore if its not your names and scroll down for goodness!

WolfOfFire: *speechless* that has got to be one of the best complements I have ever received, even if it is completely untrue. There is no way that I'm as good as she is. *worshiping the ground Mrs. Meyer walks on* Thanks again. I can't express how much that ment to me!

sonia: ^^ I'm really glad you like ej. He kinda came to me and wouldn't leave me alone until I created him. Sorry that Nessie is a little annoying. I tried casting her as the 'little sister' and since I don't have one, I just improvised. I think it worked out well enough in the end. Hopefully she isn't too annoying... just a little. ^^ thanks again for your review.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, plot, or themes or the Twilight Saga. I just borrowed for a bit of fun. They all belong to Mrs. Meyer so please don't sue. I'm a poor college student!

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9 ~ Waiting Over

Jasper walked over to my father's side quickly. "Don't you think he should practice with the human on his back? Now that she knows there are no limitations. He should be as prepared as possible." Jasper shot a quick look back at Seth who, still in wolf form, was pacing around the front yard making low distressed noises. I personally had never seen a wolf so… lost. _For his sake._ Seemed implied on the end of his sentence.

"How long do you think she will stay out?" I queried.

"Not long. She didn't seem like a fainter." Jasper said as he turned his golden gaze to me.

Dad let out a weary sigh. "Alright we will wait until she wakes up." He turned his liquid eyes on me. "Until then, rest, Amun. You will need all your strength later today."

I frowned. "If its just four vampires, shouldn't we be fine? We completely outnumber them." I explained.

"From your sister's explanation, it seems that one of the vampires can control thoughts, implant suggestions, if you will." Grandfather Carlisle explained as he joined our group. "She will be hard to fight without Bella's mental shield. Then you have Case who could easily kill us all in an instant." My hopes took a nose dive. "This could be problematic."

Mom came forward then. "I have expanded the mental shield to the house and the front yard. We should be shielded until Edward can sense them nearby."

I was suddenly completely relieved to have my mom around. She was such an important person when it came to dealing with gifted rogues. Dad shot her an appreciated look before lightly brushing his lips to her forehead. I knew them well enough to understand that subtle form of affection was his 'thank you' to my mother, but his lips lingered a little longer than normal. Almost as if it might be the last one. Suddenly, it hit me that my family might not all make it through this. It felt like Leah had landed a solid punch into my gut. They might die. Granted we had a high probability of survival, but one false step and it would all be over. My parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles would be burnt to a crisp all because of some revenge seeking vampires from the distant past.

Hell, I wasn't even born; my mom probably wasn't even alive when this feud had started. Why did we have to protect that vampire anyway? We could leave him for the Egyptians. Clara could stay. A quick glance at the still frantic wolf told me that she was necessary for his mental sanity, but we didn't have to protect the main reason the vampires were coming. Dan Barton didn't mean anything to me. He had tried to kill Jake! Why couldn't we just kick him out? Surely he was separated from Clara by now. It wouldn't take much effort to expel him from our lives. He had caused nothing but trouble.

My suddenly hard eyes glanced towards Leah. She was walking quietly, at human speed, towards me. Her eyes were wary. I frowned at her. What? Did she think I was going to attack her? I didn't want to hurt her. I just wanted to get rid of the threat to my family. Leah's cautious eyes peered intently into mine as she invaded my personal space. The heat coming off her body warmed me. Soothing some of my agitation by its familiar presence.

As her hand lightly graze up my arm, she spoke a calming tone I didn't know she possessed. "Amun," why did she make it sound like my name was a pleasurable sin? It was going to make concentrating on her words extremely difficult. "Are you ok?"

"Yes, why?" I asked as my frown deepened.

"You were flickering." She explained as her fingers stopped their maddening caress and rested loosely around my waist. "Do you sense something?"

I realized what she was doing. She was trying to calm me down. I hadn't even realized I had been so close to loosing control of my emotions. Damn, how could I have completely withdrawn inside myself? It seemed like a foolish time to retreat there. I let out an agitated breath and relaxed into her.

As my forehead connected with her warm one, I tried to sooth her worries. "I'm fine. Just don't know why we're protecting that bastard."

The fierce look in Leah's eyes proved to me that she wanted exactly what I did. Dan dead. I knew how she felt for her Alpha. Anything that threatened him would have to deal with her anger. "Clara." She said simply as her eyes drained of that fierce emotion. I dropped my eyes from her gaze knowing she spoke the only word that mattered. Clara was a human female whose only form of love came from the human killing vampire who got into it with the Egyptians when he was still human. I knew from my own experiences that people who love each other tend to look major character flaws past or present i.e. Mr. I kill humans for breakfast. Besides she had just been told not ten minutes ago that her loving father wasn't exactly human. Not to mention the other male she seemed attached to was a werewolf. Life sure had a twisted sense of humor.

She would probably need lots of time to adjust to this change. That is if she didn't run screaming from the room when she woke up. If she was normal in any way, she would run. Yet from what I knew about Mom and some of the other humans who got wrapped up in the supernatural, they were hardly ever normal. I snorted as I remembered the first time I met Clara that she was reading up on Christmas tree decorations. It wasn't even fall yet. No, Clara wasn't normal.

"…we could ask Nessie about it." Mom was saying. I decided I needed to pay better attention to the conversation about our impending doom, so I listened more intently to them. Though, Leah wasn't making that easy with the evil movements of her fingers over my skin.

"Is she up yet?" Jasper asked as he fell silent. "No," he answered his own question with his super hearing, "but her heart does seem to be speeding up. She might wake up soon."

"I don't think she can help us yet." Dad said. "She's been working hard on showing memories without physical touch, but this was the first successful time. Asking her to direct it at specific group of people will more than likely be too much for her so soon after her last attempt."

"You don't need to baby her, Edward." Emmett said as he came up. Dad gave him a stay out of it look. "Why are we even bothering with distracting them? Why not go straight at them." He grinned and pounded his fist into his hand. "I've been itching for a good fight for a long time."

Rose hit him upside the head. "Idiot, were you even paying attention to the vamp's memories? The female can control your mind. Not that it would take much." She added on the end. Her perfect lips curling up in a wicked smile as Emmett processed her insult.

"Rose." Emmett pouted at her.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Grow up, baby."

"It would also serve no purpose. The Egyptians would know that their agents had been killed. That would only bring more of them to our doorsteps. The likelihood of our survival would decrease." Carlisle said. "Right now we have the advantage. The Egyptians will not expect us to help Dan Barton."

Dad cut Emmett off before he could reply with some statement involving us taking on the world. "We also don't know if the others have a skill." His eyes locked with Jasper's. "And Case is with them." An understanding passed through the both of them.

I felt my skin prickle in awareness. I felt like I was missing something important. Case meant fire. Fire meant death. That wasn't something I wanted anywhere near my family, but Mom could handle him. "Case wouldn't attack us." Jasper said confidently.

"He might not attack you; Jazz, but I don't think he cares about the rest of us." Emmett said as he rubbed the back of his neck working out a nonexistent kink.

"He would never get past my barrier." Mom said sharply. She took our family's safety very seriously.

"There is always a chance if this came to an actual battle that someone could move outside your protection, Bella." Carlisle said softly.

Her eyes flashed back at him before they went hard. Her face closed off from all emotions. Dad had said that when she was human, she could never hide her emotions from anyone. He said her face was his open book. I couldn't imagine Mom like that. She was open with her emotions, yes, but there were times when she could close everything off from us. Like now. "I know." Her voice sounded even. No trace of any emotion at all. It worried me. That only happened when she was keeping something from us. With the barrier up, I knew Dad could read what it was. I glanced over at him. His usually molten eyes had hardened too. They looked sharp as flint. My nerves were humming.

"So what does that leave us with?" I asked hoping one of them would have a remarkable answer that would promise us safety. That would make sure I wouldn't loose any of my family. Hoping to get my mind away from the troubling expressions on both of my parent's faces.

"Perhaps Jasper can talk us out of this. If it turns to a fight, Amun," Dad said, "take Clara and leave." My eyes widened. He wanted me to run? After all Jasper had taught me, all the work I had done to master my ability, he just wanted me out of the way? Was I a handicap?

"Clara is very important to this family. She would be the whole reason behind a fight tonight. If she dies, it will all have been for nothing." Dad explained. I let out a low breath of air. This was not what I wanted, but when he said it like that… Damn, I hated his logic.

"Fine." I muttered. I saw Seth had stopped pacing. His furry body jogged over to me. It amazed me to see him this way. I guess I was used to the smaller Leah, but Seth was getting nearly as big as Jake now-a-days. His eyes looked slightly misty as they peered into mine. It made me laugh. An emotional wolf wasn't something you saw every day.

"Get a grip, puppy." Leah said with a harsh shove to her brother's hind legs as she rolled her eyes. Leah had never really been the soft sensitive type. He let out a coughing laugh before nipping at her. Leah snarled back. Seth didn't seem afraid as he circled his sister. I had never seen the two of them fight even if it was just family bonding.

It was just getting good when I heard Jake laugh from the doorway. "Knock it off you two." Both turned to look at their Alpha who was shaking his head at them. I smiled as I noticed Nessie situated on his back. I guessed she could probably walk but wanted the attention from Jake. _She certainly likes pushing Dad._I thought as I saw Dad sigh before turning away from their subtle pda. I could only imagine what was going on inside their heads.

"Renesmee!" Mom exclaimed as she rushed over to her daughter. Her blank façade had been replaced with maternal worry towards her only daughter. "How are you, sweetie?" As she quickly tried to check Nessie over, she called to Grandfather. "Carlisle, can you come look her over? She might still be a little dizzy. Jake, you are such a life savor." I had to bit back a chuckle at Mom's naivety. But I couldn't complain. She was a great Mom, always trying to keep us safe.

"Mom," Nessie whined, "I'm fine. I just got tired, that's all."

Mom's eyebrows furrowed. "Are you sure? Carlisle?" Mom asked as she turned to my Grandfather. He had come up to look Nessie over too.

His reassuring smile calmed Mom down. "She's fine, Bella. Just a little overworked." He turned his attention back to Nessie. "I think a little more sleep would do you some good."

Nessie pouted. "I wanted to be awake when Clara wakes up."

A female groan from inside the house had Nessie flashing off of Jake's back. Mom looked a little wide eyed before she gave Jake a sly smile. "She sure seemed tired to me." Mom said to Jake who at least had the decency to look sheepish.

He gave out a forced laugh. "She's better now?" He must have meant it as a statement but when he caught the murderous look my father was sending his way his voice pitched upwards. The sounds of laughter filled the front yard before most of its occupants moved inside to see how the human girl was faring.

I saw her sitting up on the couch with a curiously serious look on her face. Her slightly scrunched face left me bemused. She was certainly focusing very hard on something.

"Father's a vampire." I noticed her father was no where in the room. She was looking at Nessie instead. "Your parents are Edward and Bella?" Nessie nodded. "You're a hybrid." Clara shook her head. "What does that mean again?"

"Dad got Mom pregnant before she turned into a vampire." She lowered her voice. "You know vampire girls can't have kids."

"But guys can?" Clara asked with a frown.

Nessie nodded excitedly for Clara to continue. "And Bella's a vampire now." She looked upwards toward my mother who was smiling. She looked back at my still nodding sister.

"How-" she promptly shut her mouth so quickly that her teeth clicked together.

Nessie tilted her head in question. "What is it, Clara?"

Clara's eyes moved to her lap. "Well, I can't ask that question. It's wrong."

"What do you mean?" Nessie asked slightly concerned. What kind of question could she want to ask? My mind started to spin towards completely unwanted thoughts about my parents before my father let out a low chuckle. Clara looked towards him with an odd look on her face.

"I can read minds, Clara." Clara's eye brows disappeared behind her light bangs. "Bella won't mind telling you that."

"Are you sure? It's not polite."

"It's fine." Dad placated her.

Clara turned away from the unhappy Nessie who clearly wanted to know what they were discussing. "Um, Bella? How old are you?" That was the question? I mentally sighed. I couldn't figure her out at all.

Mom's lips quirked up into a dazing smile. "I'm 27."

Clara didn't look astounded like I thought she would. She only looked confused again as she looked back towards my sister. "How is that possible? How old are you, Nessie?"

"I'm nine!" Nessie said with a smile.

There was a moment of completely silence as Clara absorbed that piece of information. It would have been extremely comical if I wasn't worried about Clara running screaming from the room anytime now. At some point there had to be a mental overload. I paused for a moment as I wondered if she had already hit that point. She _had_ fainted. It was as I pondered that thought that Clara came out of her silent trace.

"Nine?"

Nessie nodded with a gigantic smile on her face. Clara looked at me. "You're nine too?"

"Yup." I supplied.

Her eyes flitted between the two of us for a couple seconds as if she was deciding something. Finally, her eyes rested on me with the same kind of determination that I found on her face when she had made up her mind about something. "You must be the oldest."

I couldn't help the satisfied grin that slipped onto my face as Nessie pouted. I wasn't the only one. Most of the family joined Jake and Emmett by laughing at her statement. Nessie seethed in silence. She had always liked to call me her little brother to annoy me. No one could be sure as to who was born first, so they had gone with who had been _seen _first. That had been Nessie. Although most of the family agreed she fit many of the traits for a youngest sibling. I personally knew that there was no way Nessie was older than me.

"HEY!" Nessie finally exclaimed. "I'm the oldest!"

"I think you should just give it up, Nessie," Seth said, "besides its fun to be the youngest."

Clara's attention had focused on him as Nessie shot back some insult. Her eyes had changed instantly. There was confusion there, but more than that. I saw acceptance. As Nessie debated the pros and cons of being a youngest sibling, Clara seemed to drink Seth in. Looking for something odd about him or adding up what she might have noticed and brushed away earlier. His eyes seemed to be avoiding her, as if afraid of what he might find.

Nessie let out an excited noise that shifted my attention back to her. "Alright!" She glared at me. "I've decided I want to be the younger sister! It sounds way more fun than being the 'responsible' one."

I snorted at her. "Whatever, you knew I was the oldest anyway."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Did not."

"Did too." I challenged.

Clara laughed at us effectively ending the verbal sparing. She looked around the room once more before her eyes rested on the three werewolves standing near the couch. "So, you're werewolves?" She asked in a tone that expressed only interest and no fear. I couldn't deny I was slightly impressed.

Seth nodded.

Clara grinned. "Does this mean you change on the full moon?"

All three of them barked out laughter. "No, Clara." Jake said with a shake of his head. "Think of us more as shape shifters. We can change our bodies into the shape of a wolf on command or under severe pressure."

Clara frowned. "Does it hurt?"

I just started curiously at her. That was all she wanted to know? Did it hurt? I shook my head. I would never understand humans.

"Nah." Seth said.

Dad stepped forward to get Clara's attention. "Clara, I'm sure you have a lot more questions left for us, but right now they are going to have to wait. Your father has made some dangerous enemies." Clara's eyes widened in surprise. "These vampires are not like us at all. They want to kill you and your father."

"What? Why?" She asked. The first hits of fear I had felt from her tinged her voice.

"He took something from them a long time ago." Nessie explained. "Once they got it back, they" she paused for a second as if wavering between telling her the truth or not. Her sigh told me the former was what she chose. "They killed his family and thought they had killed him. Its not an easy process to turn into a vampire, most people don't survive. When they found out he had, well they wanted him dead."

"Wasn't killing his family enough?" Clara asked as her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"Vampires hold grudges a very long time. They want to kill you to make him suffer more, then they will kill him." Jasper finished what Nessie didn't want to say.

Clara's eyes turned hard. "You're helping us; aren't you." It wasn't a question.

Dad nodded. "Yes. Amun will keep you safe. He has the ability to disappear. Nothing gift related can touch him when his power is activated."

Clara's eyes turned to me. "Cool."

I smirked. "I need to practice with you on my back, though."

Clara nodded. "Ok."

She stood and walked towards the door. I shook my head again at her easy acceptance of our completely different way of life as I followed her out. I wasn't the only one slightly surprised by her behavior. It was only as I heard Jasper mutter "just like Bella" closely followed by my mother hitting his arm that I realized they had been partially prepared for this type of response.

Clara was standing uneasily in the middle of the front yard. "So, how does this work?"

"I need physical contact to share my ability. Do you think you could hold on to my back?"

She nodded before coming closer to me. Her arms were much cooler than I was expecting. I supposed I was used to Leah's heat. She locked her legs firmly around my middle as her arms pushed against my windpipe gently. I chuckled.

"Don't worry about me, Clara. Just make sure you can hold on. I move pretty fast."

"Right." She said as her grip pushed more against my neck. It still felt light to me but her scent seemed more concentrated. "So, what now?" She asked.

I smirked as Leah jumped off the porch. I noticed she had changed into one of the oldest and dirtiest shirts that she owned. She was going to change in front of Clara. I raised an eye brow at her. Leah shrugged. "Now we see if I can keep you safe."

I focused inward was I released all my metal shields. Clara sucked in a breath as my body disappeared from under neither her. Her grip slackened. "Hold on." I told her as I formed a link from my mind to her body. The pulse flowed down it less than a second later. I felt the echoing pulse solidly after my own just as her scent disappeared from my senses.

BA_BUMP. Still going strong.

My breathing and pulse were low. I was in control. My eyes looked up at Leah. "Pay close attention," I told Clara, "Leah's going to phase."

The only response was a reflexive tightening on my neck. Before me, Leah pulled a smirk before her arms began their trembling. I heard Clara suck in a breath of shock as Leah exploded only to piece back together as a large dark haired wolf.

Clara let out an odd giggle. "That was so cool." She said. I laughed as Dad stepped forward.

"Amun, under no circumstances will you fight a vampire today. I want you only to avoid Leah's attacks. No offensive."

"Ok." I said.

Leah gave a low excited growl before she was in front of me. Only because of my recent training was I able to dodge her fanged teeth. I heard Clara draw in an alarmed breath but made no comment. I had to focus on other priorities. One: Leah trying to bit my head off. Two: keep the vulnerable human on my back safe and unseen.

I frowned as I skidded sideways to avoid her hind legs kicking at me. I realized I had limited mobility. I couldn't tumble or back flip with Clara on my back. I would have to move quicker. She weighted next to nothing, so I didn't worry about that. I just had to focus harder on dodging. Leah's claws came at me then as I angled backwards to avoid them. I checked the pulse- solid.

Oddly enough, my jittery nerves were helping keep my pulses strong. I had little difficulty coaxing the beats to expand to cover Clara. I had better stamina, but my range was limited. I focused more on the physical job in front of me realizing it would take more of my focus. Leah attacked again and I jumped upwards towards a tree branch. I barely noticed her hand slipping from my neck before my grip was keeping it in place. "Clara, you need to hang on better."

"Right, I know. Sorry." She whispered as her hands clinched tighter to my windpipe, still feeling only like a slight brush against my skin. I turned my attention back to Leah who was waiting for us on the forest floor. I descended and was soon dodging again.

Clara held on firmly for the rest of the chase. Thankfully, I was only hit once forcing me into a tree. My reflexes allowed me to turn in time for it to hit my chest instead of my back where it would have likely crushed Clara. I didn't think I broke anything other than the tree. I sighed as I looked at the poor crushed tree. Why did we always kill them?

Now, I was lying contented with my back against Leah's fur. We had ended the spar after about an hour of cat and mouse. Dad didn't think the actual battle would last more than fifteen minutes. I think he was making sure Clara was comfortable with the position that she would be in for most of the coming night. Besides, Leah was the only one who had the ability to fight me like that anyway. Other battles would be far easier and must less work. I felt very comfortable about my ability to keep Clara Barton safe from her father's hunters.

I rested my head deeper into Leah's fur. Her steady earthen scent swirled around me and relaxed my nerves like nothing else was ever able to do. It hadn't taken much out of my stamina during practice this morning, but now as the sun hit the highest point in the sky; I tried again to relax into sleep. I found it immensely easier to do with Leah so close to me. She had refused to phase back until the rogues left or had been killed. She wasn't alone as my lazy eyes scanned the front yard.

Nessie was slowly petting Jake's foot as she rested similar to me. By the droop in her eyes I thought she would be asleep very soon. Clara was sitting on the front porch with my father and mother sitting beside her for protection. Every once in a while, my father would answer a mental question. Her eyes would light up in wonder before she would ask it softly out loud for Mom to hear. It has amazed me how easily she accepted us. It must have something to do with the imprint. Or it might not. Seth was too keyed up to stay still. His large form was circling the yard as his imprint's eyes followed him in silent devotion. It was easy for me to see it in her eyes.

Leah let out a soft rumbling noise that vibrated through our connected bodies. I shifted my eyes so I could see her head better. Her eyes were boring into mine. Even I understood that she wanted me to rest. My body didn't really need it, but I could tell she wasn't going to let this go. I felt Jasper's gift press against my body. I smirked. I felt his gift, but it didn't effect me. I had never wanted its presence, but now I wouldn't have minded for once to have his ability work on me too like it did on the rest of the family. I took in a deep breath filled with Leah's scent as my eyes shifted closed. Mom's flash of fear didn't register in my tired mind, lost as sleep pulled me into its dark embrace.

I awoke when Leah shifted, a mere rippling of her muscles beneath me. My eyes noticed the drastic change in the time. Its rays which had shone directly down on our house now brushed the tops of the trees. It pushed through the dark building clouds that promised rain was coming. I sighed at the thought but wondered if maybe the rain would dampen Case's effectiveness. It was doubtful, but maybe. It gave me a little hope.

Leah's head nudged against mine. I swatted it away and glanced at her. Her eyes were sparkling with mischief. I narrowed mine at her. "What?" I hissed. I hadn't been deep asleep, but I would still have preferred the bliss of sleep over the constant worries of consciousness. Her head nodded back to towards the porch where I saw Clara petting the finally sleeping wolf that Leah called her brother. As he exhaled, I could hear the purr of contentment. Clara face formed into a huge grin every time he would make the odd snore. Who knew a wolf could purr? I thought that was just the cat family.

I couldn't see many of my family members. I figured they were inside spending their last moments together. At least they could hold a conversation with their significant other. I let out a sigh as I focused on Leah's still wolf form.

"You had better not get killed." I told Leah.

Her head whipped around to look at me. If it was possible, I was pretty sure she rolled her eyes at me. She also let out a snort of air that pushed against my sensitive noise. Let's just say, Leah's dog breath wasn't exactly appealing. I scrunched my nose in disgust. She cough-laughed at me before completely ignoring me again.

I poked her in the ribs. Her glare didn't faze me so she growled. It was my turn to roll my eyes. When I focused back on her, her eyes had shifted. There was a similar glint in it. She was ordering me not to do something stupid. "Honestly, Leah, I'm probably the safest of us all." Her intense eyes got closer. I smirked. "What? Can't live without me?" I teased. Her muzzle rubbed against my shoulder. She took me completely by surprise. "Leah?"

Her head burrowed further against my shoulder. Dad came outside a second later. He stood against the porch posts. I flicked my eyes over to him, but Leah stayed put. Dad moved closer. "Leah, you know I'm not going to tell my son that." He said to her. Her head lifted from my shoulder to glare at him. Dad just smirked. "No." She growled. "Tell him yourself." He supplied in answer.

"Tell me what?" I asked exasperated.

Leah turned her face back towards me and huffed again before getting up. If I didn't have my reflexes, I would have fallen onto my back. I turned back towards my father. "Why did you even come out here if you won't tell me what she was thinking?"

He looked down at me amused. "Her thoughts were getting frantic and extremely difficult to block out."

I frowned and was about to ask what the hell that was supposed to mean when he turned his attention away from me. A deep frown marred his face. My heart pounded in my chest. I glanced upwards to the clouds. The light was still there. "Dad, it's not night yet."

"The future changes, Amun, and it did." He fixed his now steel eyes towards me. "They're coming."

Everyone was outside before I could blink. Even Dan Barton found his way outside from where ever the hell he had been hiding. He was leaning rather leisurely against the side of the house. Grandfather looked towards my father as I moved to Clara's side. "How long?"

Dad was still focusing with narrowing eyes on the right side of the clearing. "Less than five minutes. Amun." He didn't need to say anything else. Clara was on my back and my pulse was harder than usual to keep her protected from the rogues mere seconds after he called. I was not going to let them down. Not now when it truly mattered.

"Are they inside?" Mom asked.

Dad nodded. "Close the barrier."

"Come closer so that there is less chance of them entering the barrier." Mom ordered. "Dan," Mom's eyes moved towards him, "that means you too."

The red eyed father glared at my mother. I had to stop the urge to hit him. I only held off because his daughter was clinging to my back. "Clara?" His raspy voice called.

"I'm here, Father." She said into my ear. He moved to stand near to us, though even his hearing couldn't completely pinpoint our direction.

We didn't have to wait long before four vampires entered the front yard. My eyes took them in quickly. The dark haired woman was smirking. Her visage full of arrogance. Two other vampires that I recognized from Dan's memories walked beside her. One looked younger than me. His blond hair messy and his grin nothing short of feral. The gleam in his eyes told me he enjoyed his job immensely. The other was a mid twenties man who had a cool air about him. Completely opposite of the other male. He struck me as the leader of the Egyptians. All three had skin tones that were significantly darker than expected for a vampire. Case stood in front of them. _Still shirtless_… I noticed absentmindedly.

Case took a quickly look at our group before letting out a deep sigh. "Man, you guys really, really know how to find trouble." He grumbled. "Jazz, please tell me your not protecting Barton."

Jasper took a step forward to face his old friend. His ability pressed against me. Soothing. He was trying to keep the Egyptians in check. "You have no quarrel against him, Case. The Egyptian dept was paid many years ago. Just drop it and walk away."

Case flashed a threatening grin. "Come on, man, you know my motto. I always finish a job." His grin dropped to a frown. "There's no reason for your family to get involved in this. Don't make me do something I don't want to do."

"Enough," came the smooth voice of the head Egyptian. His eyes drifted quickly at our group before he addressed Case. "You have done your part. Alexandra." He didn't elaborate, but his cold voice belayed his disappointment in the female. He was getting restless. I checked my pulse reflexively. Solid. _Good_.

Her red eyes had narrowed while Case and Jasper talked. "I cannot reach their minds. Something blocks me." Her silken voice made my skin crawl. It was too sweet, like a trap to the ears.

Case's eyes shifted to my mother. "Bella." He groaned.

Mom flashed him a smile. "Case."

The red eyed Alexandra glared at my mother. "You? You block me?" Her voice slightly hysterical.

"Where's the kid?" The bemused voice of the last Egyptian spoke. "Thought the old man was supposed to have another human girlie."

Case raised an eyebrow and added. "And Amun? Is he here or did you have him leave?"

"The child was extra. Killing Barton is our job." The leader reminded them. "I do not like wasting my time."

Dad's eyes widened just as Case's eyes flicked towards me. I knew he couldn't see me so what was he doing? Heat, intense, burning, suffocating heat hit me like a sledge hammer. I heard Clara scream into my ear as I jerked backwards instinctively away from the flames. I looked up in confusion. _What the hell was that? _Pure, intense, white flames captured my gaze. My mind stopped for a moment before I could even begin to understand what had happened. I had never seen flames such that color. I was mesmerized in horror. Unable to look away. Only the ends that licked towards the sky where the yellow/orange that I knew fire to look like. The next moment it was gone. The small pile of ashes was all that remained of Dan Barton. I could hear noting over the deadening sound of my own pulse pounding in my ears. He was dead. It had taken only seconds. The pulse inside of me pushed harder sensing the danger we were in now. Dan Barton was dead.

Case had penetrated Mom's barrier. _Case penetrated Mom's barrier! _Her frightened face flickered before my eyes. She had known. Mom knew that she couldn't stop Case's abilities. It dawned on me know that I should have known too. Jasper affected Mother because his ability was physical. The ash on the ground was physical too. Case created real fire. The only remains of Clara's father proved that. We were completely at his mercy now. _We're going to die…_ I pushed that thought back. _NO._ I could help my family. I had too. They couldn't die.

My pulse was pushing so hard I felt like it would escape my body. I widened my eyes as the female Alexandra laughed melodiously. It made my skin crawl. "Not so powerful now are you, _Bella._" He giggled again. "Too bad, Barton's gone. Don't worry your next. You and that awful barrier of yours."

"Mom!" I heard Nessie scream as my eyes searched the clearing already searching. _Where is my mother?! _Panic set in quickly racing through my body. I had to keep her safe. I didn't have time to wonder why it was Alexandra laughing instead of Case, I only knew I had to find my mother. I would not let her die. I would protect her. I would not let my mom become a piece of ash.

She was only a couple yards to my left. I focused as hard as I could as I sprinted towards her pulling on all the strength my vampire of a father had given me. Two seconds tops before I got to her. Clara thankfully was still clutching tightly to my neck, most likely in shock. I stretched my channel down my arm and pushed with all I had to get it to run through the air. I had to reach Mom! _Reach! _I pushed as hard as I could, but nothing happened. It stretched to the ends of my fingers but wouldn't cross the foot of air between us. I was so close to her now.

Just another half a second and she would be safe. I looked into her frantic eyes just before I felt the heat engulf the spot I was reaching for. _NOOO!!!!_ My hand burned as I grasped my mother's abnormally hot one. The next second the flames that had promised my mother's death were gone. Snuffed out as my ability racing through her body. I was panting so hard I knew ever vampire in the clearing knew someone was still here. I didn't care. The only thing I could focus on was the echoing pulse in my mother and the safety it promised her. But had I been in time?

A half a second later my father landed next to the charred earth. He couldn't see us; even I couldn't tell if my mother was alright. "Bella? Bella?" His usually collected voice was strained as he searched for some conformation that my mother wasn't gone.

"Is the barrier gone?" The calm voice of the Egyptian voice reached my ears, but my mind wasn't processing anything other than the silence coming from where my mother had been. _Was I too late?_

The woman's frustrated shriek told me all I needed to know. Mom was alive. I had saved her. My breathing was still labored but my heart was so light. I reflexive grin stretched across my face. Mom was safe. "The little BITCH! FINE! FINE! I'll kill the others off until she shows herself." Alexandra shrieked. "You here that barrier maker?! I'll kill them off until you show yourself!!!!" I saw Emmett move to attack the Egyptian, but Rose stopped him. If he left the barrier, he would be at her mercy.

Dad was ignoring Alexandra who was suddenly now focusing on him. Her lips curled into a satisfied smile. My eyes widened as my hand snatched my father's arm before fire wrapped him too. My father disappeared from my vision as a third echo hit my mind.

"What the hell?" The youngest Egyptian said with a grin. He looked excited that it might come down to an actual fight. "Guess it's my turn."

Alexandra glared at him her face contorted in rage. "Don't you dare!" She hissed. "The bitch insulted _me._ I will kill her. Back off, boy."

"Come on Alex. I never get to have any fun. Can I at least get a wolf?"

As they bickered, Dad spoke in a whisper to my mother. "Bella, please answer me."

There was silence for a couple more seconds. "I'll be ok, Edward. The flames didn't ignite. Although I think most of my clothes have disintegrated." Her soft voice answered. Relief blossomed again only to be crushed down. I couldn't do this forever. Already I could feel the mental strain. It was partially blocked by the adrenaline my half human body was pumping out, but soon that too would be gone leaving all I protected at the mercy of Case and his flames. I couldn't get to Leah either. _LEAH!_ My mind frantically searched for her. The flames would promise her a slower death. _Please let her be safe!_ I prayed to anything that happened to be listening.

I met her eyes thankful she was still alive. _For how long…_ My cynical thoughts questioned. I pushed them back aggressively. I would not let her die. We had to make it out of this. _How?! How do we get out of this?!_

Dad's voice pulled me out of my thoughts abruptly. "Bella, pull Case inside your mental shield. The female is controlling him."

_Case isn't doing it?_ The statement surprised me more than it should have. I thought he wouldn't care about attacking us. But it wasn't him. It was that female. Again I was frustrated that I had been too caught up in my emotions to notice something so important. Anger boiled beneath my skin forcing everything else away. Fear, exhaustion, panic, nothing else matter other than my anger. That _thing_ would die for this. She had almost killed my mother and father. She had the nerve to call my mother a bitch. My pulse escalated again only this time fueled by my burning anger not my desperation.

The next second I heard a sound that made every instinct inside me to flare in warning. The howl so bestial that I felt a flicker of fear despite my all consuming anger. My eyes shot open. Searing white flames were engulfing three bodies across the clearing from me. Case's back was turned to us, his limbs completely still. The next second the flames were gone and not even ashes remained of the three Egyptians. When he turned his body back, I was felt all my anger flee. It was nothing compared to Case's fury. In that second, I realized Case was not someone I ever wanted to mess with. I had never seen such a look.

I sat there and felt the solid ground against my feet, my hands capturing arms that didn't exist to senses, Clara's tight grip, and realized somehow it was over. My eyes flashed over to the ash pile. I felt no sadness for Dan Barton's death. A flicker of dark pleasure was all. He had hurt Jake, and now he had paid the price. The next second, I cut the cords that kept my parents and the human safe. They materialized as I collapsed backwards. I was too drained to keep myself visible.

I sat there dazed as the family converged to cover us. Jasper stepped forwards as Case turned to leave. "Case," Case's eyes were only red rimmed now. Black covering all of his pupils save a small sliver. It matched his hair perfectly. "Thank you."

I had never heard Jasper say those words before. Case's eyes flickered over to Clara before his breathing shut off. "I need to feed. Clara is distracting." Jazz was going to say something, but Case cut him off. "I won't betray your trust again, Jazz. I'll hunt a ways off."

He was gone. That was it. Was he coming back? Probably. We had a lot to discuss now, but I couldn't remember what that might be. Mental exhaustion was working against brain functions at the moment. "Mind if I take a nap?" I asked as my eyes closed against my will.

I heard several chuckles before blissful sleep covered everything in black nothingness.

Someone shouted something, I think. I was floating in healing sleep when it reached me.

"Honestly, Seth, make her feel safe why don't you?" My favorite wolf's acerbic voice drew me completely back, prematurely I might add, to the conscious realm.

"What did he do now?" I groaned as I opened my eyes. A curious warmth was pushing against the back of my head. As I looked up, I realized my head was lying on Leah's lap and was not unhappy with the position at all. I grinned up at her as her eyes flickered down at me.

"Shouldn't you still be resting?" She asked.

I snorted. "Like anyone could sleep with the noise you were making."

"Oh! I'm sorry, Amun. I just didn't realize that the," there was a pause in which I turned to look at the frowning concentrating face of Clara Barton, "Volutri? Is that right?" She grinned when Nessie nodded again. "Right, Volutri were going to kill me if they knew I knew about you all."

I grinned at her. "I bet that was a shock." Focusing away from the waterfall scented human, I took in my Leah. "Has Case returned?"

She shook her head negatively. "I doubt he will come back. You know, he still has to answer for killing that human up in Seaside. Wasn't she related to one of your fan girls?" Leah teased on the end.

Clara gasped. "Charlotte's aunt? She was killed by a vampire?"

Seth ran a hand across her back in a soothing motion. "Yes."

"Why?" She asked in a shaky voice.

"He left before he could explain, but she probably smelled really good."

Clara frowned. "Do I smell good?"

I laughed at her question wondering if she really knew what that question meant. She turned her confused gaze to me. "Sorry, Clara. Honestly, you don't want to smell good."

"Is that a no?"

"No! Amun's being an idiot. You smell very nice, but a different nice. I don't want to bite you." Nessie explained. When Clara looked at her with furrowed brows, my sister amended herself. "What I mean is you smell like waterfalls. It's a nice smell, but I don't want to eat a waterfall. You know?"

Clara nodded slightly at the explanation. "Kinda."

"How long was I out?" I asked.

"Three hours max." Jake said.

"Where's the rest of the family?"

"Kitchen." Nessie explained.

Clara frowned. "Why are they in the kitchen? You can't eat food can you?"

"Hey, I can!" Jake said.

"And lots of it," Leah muttered under her breath.

Clara looked exasperatedly over at him. "I knew that. You ate my cooking."

Seth's eyes brightened. "HEY! You can cook instead of Leah!"

Jake and Seth shared a look of satisfaction while I glanced towards Leah's narrowed eyes. "Oh gee, thanks. Just push me out once a better model comes around."

Seth rolled his eyes while Clara bit her lip obviously thinking Leah was really upset. "You hated cooking breakfast, Leah. So, don't complain."

I sat up and wrapped my arm around Leah. "You don't want to spend your mornings with me?" I whispered huskily into her ear. Her lip curled up slightly as a pleased noise came from the back of her throat.

"You can have the kitchen, Clara." Leah conceded.

I smirked against the shell of her ear. "Good choice."

"AMUN!" Dad's voice called from upstairs. "DON'T PUSH ME TODAY!"

I sighed as I looked at Leah. "We really need to work on your dirty mind, Leah."

"You sure?" She asked in fake innocence. "I could think of better uses for it."

I groaned. "You're killing me."

"You started it." She reminded me as her lips touched my cheek in a chaste kiss. "That better, Edward?" She mumbled.

I chuckled as my lips formed an instinctive grin. A rather loud cough drew my attention away from Leah. I lifted an eyebrow at Seth. "What?"

"Could you keep that to a minimum? She is my sister."

"I will when Jake does."

Seth looked over to where Nessie and Jake were lost in each other's eyes. "Man." He whined.

Clara blushed then gave him a quick peck on his cheek. Seth's eyes widened as an incredibly goofy grin grew on his lips. "Wow." He looked down at Clara. "Thanks."

She grinned before hiding her blush behind her short hair. "Your welcome. I didn't want you to feel left out."

"Case is on his way back." Dad's voice sounded from behind me.

"Are we letting him in the house?" I asked trying to ease the tension his name had created in the room.

Seth growled as did Jake. They didn't want Case anywhere near us. He was too dangerous to them. I could tell Leah's wasn't pleased, but she didn't growl. "I've read his thoughts about the slipup." He paused. "Her blood sang to him."

I grimaced.

"Sang?" Clara queried. "Does blood make music?"

Dad chuckled. "No, Nessie, do you mind explaining?"

She grinned and skipped over. "Not at all, Daddy."

Her hand touched his cheek for a couple of seconds before my vision swam before my eyes.

_I sighed as I walked into the town. Sometimes it completely sucked to have morals. I smirked to myself. So my morals weren't exactly the same as other people's. Not that they had to deal with the vampire wars of the old south. A frown drew onto my face as I remembered those days. A pawn, a possession. I had no freedom. The moment I got my head straight; I got the hell out of there. _

_I grinned as I remember the sight of the flames leaping over the buildings. The ashes of those who had kept my freedom from me blowing in the coastal wind. I had never given that freedom up since. Never would either. Didn't make deals with people just for them to use them as traps later. _Except Jazz…

_Nah, that wasn't really right. Jazz was the only person who hadn't wanted something from me. He was my kind of guy. The only person I would never use my gift against. No matter what he did to me, which I knew would never be on purpose, I wouldn't harm him. Best buds for life even after he left the south. He met Alice soon after that. I felt my libido grow just thinking about her and the other female members of the Cullen family even if they were off limits. I would definitely need some company tonight. _

_I cast my eyes around the small town called Seaside. There didn't seem like much in the way in vampire entertainment here. _Guess movies again._ My mind was drawn from my thoughts as I picked up the scent I had been tracking from the forest. Edward's kid had gotten in the way last night. I knew I had been close to finding the guy. Barton slipped up on that shipping statement. I wondered why after so many years he allowed something like that to surface. Not that I really cared. It was a passing thought. All I cared about was finding the guy. The Egyptians were paying really well. Would have money for movies for many years. I grinned at the thought._

_I took in another inhale to see if I could locate his scent. It continued to tick me off. Right when I would get close it would disappear into thin air. Who did that? Ok, so the Amun kid could, but I didn't know if anyone else who had ever had that ability. No one else should, it made them far to time consuming to find. _

_I smelt his curiously dieing scent, but that wasn't all. At that moment, I could care less about the old guy. The most wonderful scent I had ever smelled in my life had floated into my nose. I had never wanted something so fiercely in my life. I had to have it. Where was it?! My red eyes flashed looking around for the scent that had filled my mouth with venom. I inhaled again and was instantly drunk. No that wasn't right. I was addicted. A junky to her scent. I knew it was a she. Just as I knew she had just walked away from the coffee shop on the corner. No wonder I hadn't found her immediately. Well, I had her now and that was all that mattered._

_I moved closer to her as swiftly was I could with humans all around, though I wasn't paying attention to anything other than the drug walking quickly away from me. She must be in a hurry. Or many she knew subconsciously she was in danger. It didn't matter; she would be in me soon. Her scent only got stronger as I approached. More venom pooled in my mouth. I needed her blood now. I had to have her before I jumped the girl in public, Volutri be damned. I snorted. Not like they weren't already. _

_THERE! My mind was whooping in excitement as I spotted an alley way up ahead. I frowned slightly. It was a shame that she couldn't die in a better place, but I couldn't wait any longer. I came up behind her and gently pressed my hand into the small of her back. She looked up startled into my eyes. _

_I saw the fear in them, but I also saw the captivation. The intrigue. Hey, I knew I was hot. There was no use denying it. Probably the hair. I grinned at her. Yup, defiantly the hair. I rejoiced as she didn't question me leading her into the alley. Her eyes were still glued to my face. Damn, I must be hotter than I thought. I smirked._

_She blinked as if being released from a spell. "What? Where are we? Who are you?" She asked breathlessly. Just having her this close to me was making all conscious thought disappear from me. Instinct was taking over. I needed her inside me. To fill the gap her scent had created in me. Now. _

"_I'm Case," was all I managed to give her before my teeth tore into her neck. _

_She let out a fearful gasp far too soft for any human to hear before she fell limp in my hands. Her blood flowed like an elixir down my throat. _HOT DAMN! _She was so amazing. This was so much better than sex. I gulped down her lifeblood feeling it energize my dead muscles like nothing before her had. I couldn't get enough. I sucked like I hadn't eaten in years. Her body cooled but I didn't feel it; all I knew was that she tasted like heaven. If Edward was right, this might be as close as I got so I took it greedily. _

_I frowned as my sucking pulled the last of her blood from her body. It was all gone? No fair! I wanted more. I licked around the wound to make sure I didn't miss any, then licked my lips to get the last taste of her delicious scent. _

_I blinked. _

Where am I?

_I felt a body against me. There was no difference in body temp. Had I had sex with a vampire? _In an alley?_No that wasn't right. But she didn't have a pulse. I frowned down at the gaping wound in her neck and almost dropped her in disgust. What had I just done?! How had I lost control like that? I didn't even realize I was doing it. I banged my head against the brick building behind me, dinting it in the process. Damn it! _

_I broke my promise to Jasper. The one thing I told myself I would never do. I broke a promise, a deal. I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. What could I do now? He knew. He had that compact future detector on his arm. He knew I had messed up. I doubted the rest of his family would forgive me. Besides, I wasn't held to the same standards of them. They had to look down on me for not joining them in the Golden Eye craze. But come on! It would totally clash with the hair. Not to mention, I wasn't really one for abstinence. It wasn't my thing. _

_That left me with only one option. Run like hell and hope they give up. Hey, maybe in a couple of centuries they could forgive and forget. _Probably not now though_, I thought as I looked at the dead body in my hands. Nah, I would give it a couple of centuries. Yeh, good plan. I quickly burned the woman's body muttering an apology that I didn't have time to give her a proper burial. The next second, I was high tailing it to Canada. _

You still have business in Seaside._ My conscious reminded me. _Ah, damn it all to hell. _Why did I have a conscious again? I would have to come back sooner to finish the Egyptian job. Man. I really liked living, why did I make this deal again? Oh right, porn money…_

Jake was laughing before the room even came back in focus. Just as it did a knock sounded at the door. _Case is here._ I thought with a smirk. Clara was beat red hiding her flushed face in Seth's neck. Nessie was still blinking the memory away. Jasper opened the door to see a sheepish face standing there.

"Ah, what was that?" He asked a little uneasily.

"Hey, Case! Didn't you know I can share memories?" Nessie said with a million dollar smile in his direction.

He grinned. "You got better."

"Yup!"

He looked around. "So does this mean I'm not on the kill list?" He asked still standing hesitantly at the front door.

Jasper smiled a mere lifting of the corner of his mouth before shaking his head. "Just try not to find anymore singers, ok?"

Case grinned. "Deal. I promise I won't break this one."

Grandfather stepped forward then. "Case, you have created some problems for us."

Case nodded his face completely serious for the first time since I had met him. "Killing the Egyptians wasn't really in the original plan." His eyes fixed on Clara. "Sorry to say, I'm not asking forgiveness for killing your old man."

Clara didn't say anything, but she didn't attack him either. I sighed. That seemed like progress to me.

"Well, I can fix the problem with the Egyptians. There was a reason Barton avoided us so long. He had some kind of ability. No one really understood what it was, so I can just say he got the three of them before I could light him up. Trust me, no one will doubt it."

Carlisle nodded before looking back towards Clara. "Do you think the Volutri will be coming around anytime soon?"

Case snorted. "Nah, the old geezers are too busy trying to make little babies. Probably take at least a century before they can actually do it. So you're probably good for a while. If I hear anything I will let you." His voice serious again. "It's the least I can do."

"Thank you, Case." Esme said in her sincere way.

"You're welcome, Ma'am. Well, I got to go."

"Already?" Nessie said with a frown.

"I have some money to pick up. Can't wait to use it." He said with a wink that caused Clara to blush again. Jake and Emmett burst out laughing. I just grinned. Well, Case definitely guaranteed that there would never be a dull moment. I wondered if he would ever come back as I looked at the spot by the door that he had recently vacated.

I looked back to Leah who yawned. "It's been a long night. Want to go relax in my room?"

Her answering grin was all I needed. I even ignored my father's deep sigh as I sprinted upstairs to my room.

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Phew! Ok so that is technically the last chapter of Winter Solstice. Is it over? NO! Of course not. I have the basic structure for the epilogue already, and I'm thinking it will return to Leah's pov. Sorry that there isn't a preview, but I figured you wanted this chapter out sooner rather than later.

I do have a question for you all. My muse (who is actually a real person!) has been begging for me to put a lemon (please pm me if you don't know what that means). I can do one and there is a space for one in the epilogue, but I want your opinions too. I can either make a clean one and just breeze over the lemon section or add it in. If I do add it in, it will be clearly marked for those of you who do not want them (I do understand that some people find them offensive). So, either put your thoughts into a review or pm me to let me know what you think.

Hope that you liked it. Please review. I live off them. You guys were wonderful for chapter 9! Virtual hugs to each of you!! Later alligators! TG out.


	11. Epilogue: At Last

AN: Hey there guys! I know your probably mad at me (which I don't blame you at all!). It has been three weeks. I have excuses! I know that they don't really matter, but I'll give them anyway, just in case you do care. I had an infected gland on my bottom eyelash! YUCK! Grrrr... because of my low (and I mean extremely low) pain tolerance, I knew about it before the doctor - who told me he didn't see anything wrong with my eye. *snort* Made me wonder if I was just hallucinating the swelling mass on my eye lid! geez! Ok, so that rant is over. I also had a hard time piecing this chapter together. There were alot of random things that I wanted to get in but wasn't sure how they all fit. Fortunately, I think I got it right.

Then there was the lemon situation. I'll be honest. I was extremely nervous about writing one. I don't have any actual experience to go by (other than reading other lemons), so I hoped that I could make it convincing and a good read. My muse has claimed as was able to do that so yay! Also I just want to add that I'm not marking the lemon like I had said I would do earlier. Instead I'm putting the warning up here. I would completely ruin the flow if I interrupted it to tell people what was coming! I will tell you that the lemon action in near the end if you truly don't want to read it, you have been warned.

So here it it! WARNING! This is rated mature for a reason. This chapter contains content not suitable for all readers, including adult situations. Please, I beg of you, don't read if you know this will upset you or if you are too young to be reading something like this.

Also! HAPPY NEWS! Winter Solstice was nominated for the Twilight Fanfiction Awards for the categories Best Future Fic, Favorite Over-all Fanfic, Favorite Over-all Author! I cannot express how excited I am about this! I didn't even know they gave out awards! If you have any other stories that you want to nominate you can go to my review page for this story and click on the fanfiction site and it will take you to the home page. I would encourage you to do that! I also would appreciate your vote when the time comes.

So without further adieu...

Disclaimer! I do not own the characters, events, or themes of the Twilight Saga. They belong to Mrs. Meyer who let me borrow them for this (nonpaid) story. I also did not make the lyrics for the song _At Last _by Etta James. So please don't sue me now!

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Epilogue - At Last

~Leah~

I couldn't believe this. I honestly couldn't believe this. My shock gave way to numbness and finally to rage. _I CAN'T BELIVE HER!!!!_ My eyes narrowed to slits as I contemplated ways to kill the mini fashion demon. She just smiled that oh so (_NOT_) innocent smile at me. She was going to die, slowly and painfully. Where was that damn Case when I needed him?

"What the _hell_ is that, Alice?" I demanded the vampire in front of me.

"What do you mean, Leah?" She cocked her petite head to the side even as a sly knowing grin pushed the edge of one of her lips upwards. She was enjoying this torture. I screamed in my head not wishing to give her the satisfaction of knowing how pissed I really was. How had this happened?

"_That _is _not_the dress I tried on at the final fitting last week." I said as I took in the scrap of fabric Alice was holding out for me. I felt I had been fairly reasonable today. After all Alice had done to me, this had taken it too far. She had to draw the line somewhere right? First, she had practically dragged me out of bed. Literally pulling me out of Amun arms. I had barely enough time to register that the clock was blinking 6:00 am up at me before I was out of the room and down the stairs. She had loaded me, Nessie, and a still half asleep Clara into the fastest car the Cullens owned. I was so out of it I don't even remember which one it was. All I know was that it was red and fully capable of breaking the speed limit probably three times over.

Why had Alice hijacked me at 6:00 in the morning? Oh that was the best part.

"_Alice," I hissed. "You had better had a damn good reason for getting me up this early."_

_Alice's sparkling eyes looked back at me as the car began to drive far above the speed limit. I wondered if her physic cop detector worked with me and Nessie in the car. Apparently, since she would definitely be pulled over otherwise. _

"_We're going to on a road trip." She smiled._

_I growled. It was just like her to answer questions without giving anything away. "Why are we going on a road trip?" I asked as Clara's head fell onto my shoulder. The poor girl wasn't even really awake when they forced her in the car. I wasn't surprised she was asleep again._

"_We- well, you, Nessie, and Clara - have appointments at 7:15 sharp at Spa Noir. We can't have you be late."_

"_SPA!?!" Nessie looked like she would bounce out of the car. "No way! I've heard humans love them."_

_My unease was growing. She was taking me to a spa? This was going to be torture. All those people I didn't know touching me. The overwhelming scents that were supposed to relax us. I groaned. I hated Alice. It was then that I wondered what spa in Oregon would be up to Alice's high standards. Unease prickled harder against me. "Where exactly is Spa Noir?" Did I really even want to know?_

"_Seattle."_

_Complete silence greeted this proclamation. Honestly, what did someone say to that? _

_Nessie's excited squeal (so that was what I was supposed to do?) could have broken the glass on the car. I grimaced. I should have expected something like that._

_Seattle was (I knew) over three hours away from here. A quick glance at the clock told me it was now 6:10am. Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised really. The way they drive, I'm surprised it would even take that long. I let out a long sigh as I resigned myself to Alice's antics for the day. _

At least Clara and Nessie had enjoyed the spa. Though I would never admit it, the masseuse had done wonders for my back. Phasing always did leave a few kinks I could never seem to get out. But, the spa had just been the beginning. She hadn't trusted the Spa to do anything about our appearance save a rose nail and toe polish. It almost made me grin to remember her look of distain when one of the workers asked if we wanted our hair done. No, not even Spa Noir held up to all of Alice's expectations.

This meant that after almost four hours in the Spa and another hour in the car going back to the house I still had more work to do for the dance tonight. Not that I would be doing anything other than sitting still. Rose immediately began on my hair while Alice tended to Clara's makeup. Then they swapped. Then they descended on Nessie who had been busy talking excitedly to her mother about what had happened at the spa. Bella wasn't allowed near any of the equipment. Instead, she talked to us all. It's thanks to her that I didn't go insane during the (what seemed like hours) thirty minutes that it took both of them to finish us.

Now, Alice had the nerve to show me this pathetic excuse for a dress and claim I was going to wear it. I distinctly remember the one she had made me try on last week had contained much, much more fabric even if the front seemed decent. The amount of skin that the back left bare alone with the ridiculous excuse for a skirt more than made up for the modesty of the top of the _thing_. I turned my enraged eyes to focus back on Alice waiting for the answer that would doom her for all eternity.

"Oh!" As is she hadn't known exactly what I had been thinking. "Well, of course it isn't." She gave me a stern (completely fake) look. "Amun went with you, right?"

I nodded confused as to why his presence even mattered. He hadn't moved from the door the whole time we had been in that damn store leaving me to put up with the Terrible Two alone. He could have at least shadowed me for some of the time even if he was invisible.

Alice nodded. "Exactly, how can I trust that you didn't let him see the dress?"

"Alice," I began exasperatedly. Did she actually think I would disobey her orders when it came to clothes? Even I wasn't stupid enough to let Amun see the dress. "He didn't see it. I swear, so can I please wear it?"

"But how would I know if you're lying? Edward can't read Amun's mind." I opened my mouth to argue that he could read me expertly when she continued. Like she had already heard my complaints which I knew she couldn't have. "Amun could have peaked while you weren't looking." I rolled my eyes. There was no way that he could even sneak up on me. I always knew where he was.

Absentmindedly, I noted he was currently pacing his room. I wondered if he had been able to get back to sleep after I had left. He usually required about two more hours to rest his body (especially considering how late we actually made it to bed last night). He had worked out yesterday with Jasper too. My thoughts turned increasingly dark as I worried about him. He never seemed to rest enough when I wasn't beside him (not that I was ever going to complain about that).

When he had asked me to move my clothes over, I had felt like my heart would burst from my body. Was that type of joy even possible for me? After the way my life had worked, I had contented myself to the lot I had been given. I had never expected this much happiness ever come to me. If I hadn't had the cover of sarcasm, he would have probably thought someone else had taken over my body. The fact that I _needed_ his touch every minute of the day didn't mean I could have him. He had just recently decided he wanted more from me than friendship. Hell, it hadn't even been three full weeks and I already wanted so, so much more. I couldn't take these small moments of affection. I had to have more. I was more than addicted. It wasn't something I could ever get over. Since the first moment I had seen him, my life had been changed.

It was better, so much better than the shell I had lived in before then – before him. When he had grown, I almost felt completely at peace. I could still remember having his tiny hands fisted in my fur as we moved through the forest. The contentment then had been so close to perfect. But it had changed. Gradually my role seemed to shift, or at least my instincts towards him did. Instead of _protect_ they screamed at me to _claim._ I would never take more than he offered though. Then, it had only been friendship. I had never even expected for him to want more. I guess I should have, but I didn't. I was too afraid to hope for more. Too afraid that the bond between us was mostly one sided. It was foolish to worry like that.

I didn't anymore. He had claimed me that day. His 'I love you' had torn away any (admittedly weak) barriers I had tried to protect myself with. They had never lasted long anyway. I couldn't _not_care for him. And now he cared for me too. Beyond any possible outcome I had ever imagined, Amun had wanted me back, exactly as I wanted him. There was no denying my imprint now. I didn't want too. I would never have been able to even if I had wanted too.

My instincts, grounded so firmly in animalist ways, were going crazy. They recognized him as my mate and wanted him _now._They craved for the physical sign of his choice. As they craved, I equally craved for his body filling my own. Ever since he had pinned me to that tree, I felt empty. I knew it was stupid, but that didn't stop the thoughts. The feelings. It was like half of me was missing. Not that it hadn't seemed that way before, but I had been able to live with it. When I didn't know he felt the same way, I could push the emptiness back. Not anymore. Never could I ever again. Amun had made the choice that I had already made. His fate had been sealed. Surely, Edward understood the restraint I had been showing. I had yet to throw his cocky son on the floor and have my way with him no matter how many times I had imagined it.

So, the fact that I could have his touch through an entire night had been euphoric. But still I hadn't wanted to rush him. Those latent fears had shifted. I didn't want to scare him away. I didn't feel teenage love. I hadn't been truly teen age for such a long, long time. Fears pushed and said it could be a simple teenage infatuation for him. He was half human. I couldn't scare him away; it would kill me. After his acceptance, to have him push me away would truly be my end. I couldn't live without him.

The beginning of the week I had slept with him with clothes still on (how I had managed to pull that off I will never know) under the disguise of helping him recover from overusing his ability during the fight with the Egyptians, but by Tuesday that excuse void. He was completely better. Now, I was just being selfish. I didn't want to leave his warm embrace. I never wanted to sleep without him, but I couldn't loose him. I feared I would scare him away. Tuesday night I had spent the whole night looking up at the ceiling in my room. I couldn't sleep without him. I just hoped that he would be fine. Yet, the next morning, I had noticed the dark bruise like circles under his eyes. He hadn't slept well.

"_Amun," I breathed as I took in his sight, breathing freely for the first time since I had said goodnight to him 8 hours and 37 minutes ago. It was as I took him in that I noticed his face. Tired. My eyes widened for a moment. What had made him so tired? Worry grew deep within me as I moved to him quickly. My fingers moved without consciousness command to brush against the evidence. The dark discoloration under his eyes. His eyelashes skimmed my hand as his eyes closed. In pleasure? In exhaustion? I didn't know. "You didn't sleep well."_

_His eyes opened. The brown depths sweeping away any and all of my thoughts for a moment. A smirk pulled onto his lips pulling my focus to them instead. _Get a grip, Leah. Don't scare him off this early in the morning. _"Neither did you." He remarked. "Can't sleep without me?" He teased. _If only you knew…

_I pulled a smirk to match his as I raised an eyebrow. "You wish."_

_His eyes darkened for a moment. My pulse seemed to slam through me. Damn he was sexy. My breathing hitched as he moved his lips to the shell of my ear. His breath caressed it, raising goose bumps on my body. The sensation sent an involuntary response in a wave of heat to my core. _Damn, Edward's going to kill me. How is Amun so good at this? _"Oh I do. I do wish." His deep, sensual voice confirmed. There was no way for me to be coherent with his body that close to me after yearning for him for a whole night. My fingers fisted in his shirt as I tried to come up with more than a strangled choking noise to answer him with. Anything._

"_I suppose someone has to make sure you _sleep._" I wondered if he noticed how breathy my voice sounded. Did that sentence even make sense? My pleasure starved brain wouldn't focus on anything other than the brush of his moist lips to my hypersensitive skin. I felt my sensitive chest brush against his through the thin fabric Alice had insisted on him wearing lately. A shudder went unheeded through my body as the pulsing heat of my core tightened. _

"_We were going to sleep?" He questioned huskily into my ear before his teeth grazed the edge. I felt my knees shaking unsteadily. It had nothing to do with the phase. Damn, I was not in control this morning at all. I was slipping away quicker than normal. I was far too out of control. And I didn't even care._

"_Do you have a better idea?" My body answered instead of my brain. I needed him so badly in that moment. I needed more than the heat of his skin through his shirt. I needed his body pressed against mine with no barriers. My body was begging for the release it had denied for far too long. Screw Edward and his stupid rules. He knew what this was doing to me. He knew and he still refused to end this agony for me. _Well, let him stop me now._ I thought as my hooded eyes flickered to Amun's pale neck. _

"_I do." An oh so familiar (damning) voice said before my lips touched the body that tormented me. _

"_Dad." Amun groaned as he unraveled himself from me. I wondered vaguely when that had even happened. _

I hadn't slept in my room since, giving it to Clara as a 'gift.' It was mutually beneficial. Clara was closer to Seth, but no one worried about them actually doing anything. They were both too shy. Clara still hadn't recovered from loosing her father either. I could tell. I remembered what it felt like to loose a father so quickly even if the situations weren't the same – they were rather similar. It would take a long time for that wound to heal.

Anyway, it also gave the vampires a break. She had been staying in the house, and even though I knew they could resist, I also knew it was better not to tempt fate. Finally, it provided me with the perfect excuse to stay with Amun. I promised myself I was doing it to make sure he got enough sleep; but I knew that was mostly a lie. I did it because I couldn't stand being so close yet so far from him at night. And I realized how thin my control slipped when I was away from him for extended periods of time. Edward had reminded me that _"No, Leah, you cannot _take_ my son in the hallway. I understand that this is difficult for you, but that is not acceptable." _He had conceded to letting me stay in Amun's room overnight to insure that his request was not broken anytime soon.

"LEAH!?"

I blinked returning to the present to see an (unusually) annoyed Alice glaring none too subtly at me. Her glare only reminded me of my own anger with the (vampire) girl. I narrowed my eyes at her. "What, Alice?" I asked sharply.

"I was saying that this is the dress anyway. Honestly, the one you tried on was modified." She smiled happily at her plot to make me wear close to nothing and pretend to call it clothing. "There isn't another dress for you to wear. Besides, I made the alterations myself. You should be honored to wear one of my creations."

"Sure, Alice, I would be." I muttered sarcastically, "If it wasn't a napkin."

"It's made of silk." She corrected.

"_It _won't cover _anything._"

She sighed at me. "Leah, you are going to wear it. Just think of what Amun would do when he sees you in this."

The thought of Amun's darkened, lustful eyes brought back the heat in my core. I glared at Alice. Now I was going to have those thoughts in my head for the rest of the day, and I couldn't even take a shower to cool down. I looked again at the tiny blue dress. There was no doubt Amun would like it, but Edward wouldn't. How Alice even getting away with this was beyond me.

"What does Edward think of the _thing_?" I asked suspiciously. Why on Earth was he even allowing this? Surely it would border on his rules.

Alice practically beamed at me. "It's a gift exchange from Bella. She got him to allow you to wear this if she gave him something in return."

I shivered as the unwanted images of what exactly Bella had traded for this dress flitted across my mind. Suddenly, I was far from the aroused state I had been in moments ago. With a sigh, I realized I should thank Alice for her unintentional help. I glanced up at her only to meet sparkling gold eyes. I narrowed my eyes at her. I knew that expression only meant more trouble was coming. She was not going to get a thank you from me now.

"Fine." I huffed. "But, I'm not putting it on until it's absolutely necessary."

Alice flashed a teeth bearing grin. "Deal." Even she knew when to cut her loses and run.

How is it that time always passes faster when you don't want it too? Granted I did want (_need)_to see Amun sometime soon. My animalistic instincts were pushing even my control. It had been a very, very long week. Yet, I did _not_want to put on that dress (even if I wanted to see Amun's reaction to it). Amun wasn't even in the house anymore. Alice had forced them out not long after we had returned from Seattle while Bella put up a mind shield around the house so that none of the boys got a sneak peak.

So before I knew it, it was time for the dance (Bella had made a quick supper for me and Clara). There was no putting it off now. That's how I found myself glaring at the simple woven silk garment that was hanging innocently from the back of Amun's door. There really was no way around it. I was just about to strip when Alice flashed into the room.

"Hey! I almost forgot to give you these." She pushed two flesh colored cups and one far too lacy garment into my hands.

I stared confused at the flexible disks. "What are these?"

"They're your bra for today. Just put them on your breasts. You obviously can't wear a real bra with the dress, so these will do instead."

I didn't have room enough in my head to argue anymore. I just sighed and looked at the bit of crème colored lace. "Is this supposed to function as underwear?"

Alice beamed at me. "You're so smart!" With a last frown at her twinkling eyes, I was left alone again to get dressed.

I slipped out of the button down shirt of Amun's that I had borrowed and dropped the bra and regular underwear to the floor. I put the (cold) suction like cups to my breast a little unsure as to whether they would stay or not. Surprisingly, they did. I grabbed the scrap of lace and was more than thrilled to note that it wasn't a thong. Instead, Alice had proved me with a sexy boy short that was made entirely of lace. I was not going to complain at all.

My eyes flashed again to the azure dress waiting for me. With a sigh I took it off the hanger and let it fall onto my body. I had never felt more exposed in my life. With a shiver, I went to see how bad it looked. I almost laughed when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. You had to give Alice and Rose credit. They were miracle workers. My dark eyes were framed my mile long lashes that ended in the smoky contours of my lids. My native skin seemed to glow from the little powder they had dusted over it. My lips shimmered faintly under the light and drew what attention that was not centered on my eyes to them.

Then there was the _thing _(so maybe it could be called a dress now). The front almost looked too conservative. The silk started high almost to my neck dipping just low enough for my collarbones to be visible before flowing unbroken to my mid thighs. There was a slit in the fabric though that looked almost if as if someone had cut it with a knife. It started just under the top of the dress and continued downward in the valley of my breasts until it ended just below my breast line. If I moved just right, the fabric would shift displaying a piece of my tan skin to the world. It was far more classy than trashy. My hair had been pilled into a messy bun that sat at the base of my neck while uncooperative tendrils had been curled to frame my face.

I turned to see the back of the dress and was not surprised to find almost none. For as conservative as the front of the dress was, the back was equally modern. At the top a strip of fabric continued the circular collar that had begun in the front. Two more strips of fabric descended downward from that piece to circle back under my armpits and connect to the front of the dress. I guess it was to keep the front from falling away from my body. The rest of my back was left bare until the front wrapped back around to connect and form the skirt. All in all, I found I almost liked it. I slipped on the black stiletto heals that Alice had given to me and assessed myself again.

I looked hot.

Now I just had to climb down the stairs to the front room. Great, like that wouldn't be difficult. Ten minutes later I walked (hobbled – these damn shoes were too high) into the main room of the house. All of the girls were all there and waiting. I wish I could tell you what they were wearing, but my mind was in shambles. Why? The string that bound my heart to Amun was tugging. He was coming.

_He's coming._

My heart was far too forceful. Almost like it was trying to pound its way right out of my chest. I glanced down at the blue fabric to make sure it was still there. I was suddenly extremely apprehensive. What would he look like? That thought didn't help my heart rate. It kicked it up another notch.

Somehow, some instinct was telling me that today would be an important day. I heard the crunch of gravel and the roars of the cars as they came into the front yard.

Alice, Nessie, and Clara squealed in excitement. Rose just smirked while I noticed Bella send me a small smile along with a wink. What was that supposed to mean?

"Girls? Are ya'll ready?" Jasper's voice called out from the front yard.

They were. Each of them strutted out like they owned the world until it was just me, my overactive heart, and Alice. She grinned a surprisingly completely innocent smile and pushed me towards the door. Why was I so damn nervous? _I'm 28 years old, damn it! I should not be nervous about seeing my 8 year old boyfriend. _I let out a low chuckle at that. Man, being paranormal was strange.

With renewed confidence, I stepped out of the door and locked eyes with my Amun. His brown eyes drew me like a magnet. My pulse pumped slowly but as it ended it seemed like it pushed a wave of desire through my body. Liquid heat coursed through me instead of blood. But he frowned. I smirked. Of course, he would not be pleased with the front even if it did end rather high on my long legs. I gathered confidence and walked over to him.

"What do you think?" I asked breathily into his ear.

His mouth moved to one of the few places on my shoulder that wasn't covered in silk. "I'm a little disappointed." He said as he kissed the pulse point on my neck.

I grinned into his hair. "You haven't seen the back."

He shifted me closer so he could look behind me. The low growl and almost shaky movement of his hands across my bare back made me grin in satisfaction. _That's more like it._ His hands moved to my hips and pushed me closer against him. His ragged breath wasn't the only indicator of how much he enjoyed my exposed back.

"Damn my father." He rumbled.

I laughed at him before stepping backwards. I didn't know if I could keep myself under control when his voice went that low. I could only get an inch of space between our bodies before his strong hands refused to let me go any further. I smiled as much in amusement as in joy. I still couldn't get over the fact that I could even begin to affect him like he did me.

"Don't we have a dance to go to?" I asked as I wry smirk pushed at my lips.

His dilated pupils met my own dark eyes before he sighed. "Unfortunately." He mumbled.

I frowned in mock hurt. "Do you not want to take me to the dance? Am I too old?"

He sighed. One of his hands left my tingling waist to run through his already messy hair. It was a sign that he was frustrated. "You know I don't care about that." He cocked an eyebrow at me. "Besides wouldn't that mean I'm too young for you?"

_Hell no._"Hmmmm. Maybe."

"Alright you two, break it up. We have a dance to get to!" Alice pepped as she opened the back door to the Volvo. I noticed that even if Edward was letting Amun drive today, we still had to use the safest car. With a smile, I got into the front seat as Amun closed my door giving one last long look towards my now further exposed legs. I thought I caught a guttural growl, but as he shut the door then, it might have been wishful thinking.

"So why are we taking so many cars?" I asked as I watched four cars speed away in front of us.

"No reason." Amun said nonchalantly.

Alice giggled suddenly drawing me from questioning Amun. I turned around confused as to why she would do that only to see Jasper's bronze hair. With a snort, I turned back around. I was in no mood to watch someone else enjoying the perks of being in love when I was shackled by slave driver Edward.

"How did we get stuck with them?" I asked Amun.

He looked over at me with a raised eyebrow. He looked in the review mirror and shook his head. "Would you believe that they're here to make us behave?"

I laughed. "Not at all."

"Well, it's true. Dad asked them to make sure we didn't break any rules while he wasn't with us. He's in the car with Nessie. Apparently, they've been pushing the rules more than us."

"Jake always was a masochist." I responded.

Amun smiled and my heart pushed against its restraints again. How was his carefree smile able to do that to me? He was just about to respond when there was a gasp from the back seat. I sighed. That was taking it too far.

"Alice, really, have some-"

"Alice?" Jasper questioned worriedly. That was my first clue that he hadn't been the one to make her gasp. I whipped my head around to see Alice glassy eyes. I hated it when Alice had visions. Nothing good ever happened. I braced myself for the worst as her eyes lost their glassy look.

Instead of pronouncing our doom, she laughed. Her high peals struck me as unusual even for her. Her eyes focused on me and seemed to dance in excitement and mirth.

"What did you see?" I asked suspiciously.

She smiled. "I saw a wedding! Leah, your mom's going to marry Charlie!" She laughed again. "Oh, I can't wait to tell Bella; she'll be so excited!" Alice kept babbling in the back but I locked eyes with Amun. A strangled laugh came from my throat.

"Well, Amun, looks like I'm going to be your aunt."

He burst out laughing. "This is too bizarre. My grandpa is marring your mother?"

"Maybe I'll get to be a bridesmaid." I said wistfully. I had hoped Mom could move on from Dad's death, but it hadn't thought about it in a while.

"Nah, we probably won't even be invited. Humans will be there, you know." Amun reminded me.

I frowned. "What? I just look a little young for my age."

Amun's eyes surveyed me again. "What you look is entirely too sexy for your own damn good."

"What are you going to do about it?" I purred as I placed a hand delicately on his thigh.

Amun's sharp intake of breath told me he enjoyed my touch.

"Leah!" Alice warned. "Bad girl."

I glared back at her. I did not appreciate her talking like that too me. "Alice." I growled in warning.

The sudden wave of calm that washed over me made me shift my focus off the fashion/Edward police to her mate. He was reclining leisurely in the back seat. But there was an edge in his eyes that made me cautious of him. I knew enough about the southern gentleman to understand that threatening his mate was probably not my best idea.

"Sorry, Jasper." I replied as I turned back around in time to see Amun pass through the school gates. It had started to drizzle on our way here.

"No problem." Jasper replied as Amun parked the car and came around the car to get me, opening an umbrella as he came.

He offered me a hand which I took as I looked up at him under my eyelashes. His eyes appreciating the stretch of leg I had moved out of the car. I stood up (thankfully without falling) on the stilettos. With their help, I was standing eye to eye with Amun. My smile couldn't have gotten bigger. "My eyes are up here."

His eyes met mine unashamed. "I'm aware of that."

I chuckled. "Come on." I said as I tugged on his hand. "Let's go dance before someone comes to get us again."

Amun let out a low grumbled complaint as he followed after me. He quickly caught up with me and soon we were walking into the decorated gym. I smiled as I noticed the decorations hadn't changed too drastically in nine years.

Balloons of various blue and green hues had been inflated to form an arch at the beginning. Streamers continued the theme making the large gym seem smaller than it really was. The "Under the Sea" theme continued with cut outs that the art department had created throughout the week. Granted, it was hard to tell what they were supposed to be. I heard the art teacher complaining about her less than stellar students this past week. I, quite frankly, agreed with her assessment as I tried to figure out if the blob of pink and blue was supposed to be a jelly fish.

Amun didn't let my thoughts linger off him for long as he pushed me toward the line off to the side of the room. I raised an eyebrow at him. "Pictures?"

He sighed deeply again. "It was one of my father's rules for tonight."

I frowned. "Why is he giving you extra rules?"

A half smirk that he had inherited from his father was my only answer. I glared at him. He was keeping something from me. I didn't like it. "Amun." I growled.

His damn smirk grew. "You think threatening me is going to work?" He shook his head before taunting me. His playful eyes meeting mine in a challenge. "I've won most of our last matches."

I averted my (dazzled) eyes from him knowing he was just as tight lipped as Edward. I wasn't going to get anything out of him by trying to force it. I _could_ try to seduce it out of him, but I found myself almost excited by this unknown _something_that Amun had planned for us. He had even gotten Edward's approval for it. That thought made me wonder what other rules he had laid down for tonight.

"What else did 'oh stingy one' make you agree too?"

"One dance."

I frowned. "One dance?"

He nodded then amended himself. "I take that back, one _slow_ dance."

"What does that mean?" I questioned getting annoyed (not to mention confused) at him again.

"Come on, Leah, you don't think I would give in that easy."

He was spared from my answer as we stepped forward to have our picture taken. It was after I had posed for our couple and my single photo that I finally took the time to look over what Alice had picked for him to wear. I was slightly surprised to find only dress black pants with a white button up shirt and (loose) black tie. I would have though Alice would have made him go all out, but was more than pleased with his slightly messy look. I had to lock those thoughts firmly away so that the photographer didn't accidentally snap a picture of Amun being attacked by his supposed girlfriend.

I frowned. I had never liked the term 'girlfriend.' It seemed like such a _young_phrase or a fleeting phrase. I didn't like how little promise it held. I most certainly didn't think of Amun as my boyfriend. It almost made me laugh. Such a human term. No he was _mine. _He was my _mate._ That term brought a curl of delight to my body. Just thinking of him in that way brought me supreme satisfaction.

"What are you so happy about?" Amun asked as he returned to me.

I just shook my head as I wrapped my arms back around his waist. "Do I get my dance now?"

"Hell yes."

I laughed at him as he (hastily) dragged me onto the already crowded dance floor just as the music changed from the fast, pulsing beats to a softer slower melody; one I instantly recognized. The irony of this song was not lost on me at all.

_At last, my love has come along_

I hummed along with it as I pulled Amun as close to me as possible.

_My lonely days are over_

_And life is like a song_

His hand slid over my bare arm as his other rested lightly against my waist sending shivers rolling down my spine. I loved him so much.

_Oh yeah, yeah, at last_

_The skies above are blue_

My hand slipped up his neck to fist in his (constantly messy) hair as I closed my eyes and leaned against his chest still humming contently.

_My heart was wrapped up in clovers _

_The night I looked at you_

Amun's deep chuckle drew me from my hazy peace. "I didn't know you knew this song."

I smiled lazily. "You do realize I'm old, right?"

"Not that old." He admonished my hair as he took a deep breath inhaling my scent.

_I found a dream, that I could speak to_

_A dream that I can call my own_

"Maybe not." I responded as I lay my head back down on his chest content to listen to his flightily heart beat. Just this moment, I could let go. I could be truly at ease.

_I've found a thrill to press my cheek to_

_A thrill that I have never known_

I was caught off guard as Amun gently pushed me away from him. I let out breathless laugh that could almost have been a giggle (who knew something that girly could come from me?) as he twirled me back into his arms just as the music swelled.

_Oh, yeah, yeah, you smiled, you smiled_

_Ooh, and then the spell was cast_

_And here we are in heaven _

_For you are mine, at last_

As the music died slowly, melodiously away I found Amun yet again surprised me as he cradled my body and dropped me into a low dip. I gripped his neck though I knew he would never drop me. I was surprised at how quickly the flames that had been growing because of his touch could cool or at least smolder while I had danced with him. I still needed him, but the animist sense of it was gone. I felt oddly just like a girl dancing with her date though I knew it was false. He would never be just that for me. With that though, all the desires that Etta James had washed away came roaring back. I needed him again.

"Let's get out of here." He murmured in my ear.

"I thought you would never ask." Was my own husky reply.

"AMUN!"

My haze of happiness was suddenly destroyed as the one voice I never wanted to hear again bombarded my sensitive ears. Amun's hand (still twined around my own) squeezed whether it was in reassurance or warning I didn't know. I let out a low sigh as I turned around to face the last distraction I wanted right now.

"Amanda." Amun greeted the girl with as little kindness as his father's drilled in manners would dictate.

I snorted as I noticed she was on crutches and her entire right foot encased in plaster. She glared at me but I just smirked back. The bitch deserved that broken leg for trying to poison me (even if it wouldn't have worked – my metabolism was too high).

"I was wondering if I could get a dance? You know I haven't seen you for a whole week. My cast kept me at home – bed rest."

"Aw, then why aren't you there?" I asked with as much sickly sweet hate I could put into the question.

She sniffed, annoyed I had interrupted her time with Amun. "I was told I could come to the dance tonight." More like she had thrown a fit until they had allowed her to come. "Besides, Charlotte is still recovering from her poisoning. I had to come to tell her what happened tonight."

"I see," Amun began before I could verbally attach the harpy, "well, I'm sorry, Amanda, but Leah and I are leaving."

She frowned. "Already."

I smiled. "Yes, we have other plans." Even if I didn't exactly know what they were.

"Oh."

"Bye, then." I said as I turned away from her. Amun followed after me a wry smile on his lips. "What?" I asked him.

"I like watching you get mad." His voice seemed to melt over me like chocolate. "Maybe I should do it more often." He said as he snaked an arm around my middle, pressing my exposed back against his warm front. I looked over my shoulder into his eyes to gage how serious he was. The twinkle trying to hide in his eyes did him in.

I swatted his hand away and got into the car as he chuckled. He was in and starting the car moments later. "So where are we going?" I asked my curiosity peaked again.

"You'll see soon."

I grumbled a little but soon was content to just sit. Amun's hand had snaked through my own the second after he had gotten into the car. His slightly cooler fingers were comforting against my high body heat.

I frowned as I noticed we were traveling back on Hamlet Road towards the house. Why on earth were we going back there? Did Esme and Carlisle have something to do with this plan of his? My confusion deepened further as we passed the almost nonexistent turnoff to go to the Cullen home. Instead, he turned almost a mile down the road onto an equally hidden trail.

I looked over to see if I could catch any hints from Amun only to see him smiling like a boy with a new toy. _What on earth is going on?_ I tried to see if any of the area we were passing looked familiar, but this was north of the house and we rarely hunted here. It was too close to civilization. I turned my head away from the side windows about to question him again when I noticed we were coming up to something.

"What is that?" I asked confused as Amun parked next to the structure. If I hadn't known any better, I would have said the building had grown right out of the very forest. The front seemed to be made of the same wood of the forest that crowded around it. Amun pulled me out of the car and tugged me to the house. I could practically feel his enthusiasm flowing off him as if he had gained Jasper's ability.

"Esme's gift to us." Amun replied as he opened the knotted wooden door. I couldn't help but run my hands over the wood in awe of its rustic beauty. I knew Amun must love the architecture knowing how much he enjoyed the forest. I breathed in deeply and was pleased that the place did not disrupt the smell of the forest. Instead, the natural materials seemed to enhance the scent that I knew Amun loved.

I hadn't missed the term Amun had used: _us. _My heart leapt at the pronoun. Us meant together. "What do you mean by-" I had to stop as an involuntary gasp left my lips. The inside was wonderful. The side two walls were made of the same sliding glass that adorned the Cullen home; and when opened I was sure they would allow air (or a phased wolf) to move uninhibited through the house. In a corner near the back was a large plush bed which had been covered in black (most likely silk) sheets. There were no dividers in the house. I loved the openness. To my left was a small kitchen area complete with refrigerator, stove, and a small island to mark the kitchen's end. To the right was an oversized love seat and flat screen television attached to the wall. Opposite the (completely massive) bed was a bookcase and dressers along with a door that probably lead to a bathroom.

Dark blue drapes hung on rods that looked as if they could cover the entire glassed area giving the now open area a sense of privacy. The house was small, but with the windows exposed it didn't really even seem like a house, more like an extension of the woods. I looked up to met Amun's slightly flushed face. He grinned at me and pointed up. I looked at the large beams that supported the flat room curiously.

"Esme said the wood came from all the trees that we managed to kill during our fights." Amun explained.

I laughed as I took in the personal detail she had added for us. I looked back at Amun. The joy of this development was giving way to one confused thought. _Why?_

Amun didn't even need for me to ask. He read the question from my eyes. "Dad has given up."

I dared not let that sink in just yet; I couldn't get my hopes up. "What?" I hissed as Amun quickly closed the dark curtains, secluding us from the world. I blinked as I realized the room was filled with what seemed like hundreds of candles. Why had I not noticed that before?

There was no way I could misinterpret this conversation. His explanation, his movements, and these candles were leading in only one direction. My breathing hitched as adrenaline raced through my system and heat curled delightedly in my core.

His eyes connected with mine for a second from across the room as he pulled the last curtain closed. His hand flicked up to loosen his (already sloppy) tie as his eyes racked down my body. Tingles erupted on my flesh where his eyes landed almost as if his visual caress had been physical. His eyes connected again with mine as he finally answered me moving slowly across the room back towards where I still stood near the door.

"Apparently your sexual repression was getting a little hard to deal with, so my mother and I made a bargain with him."

"Bargain?" I distinctly remember hearing Alice mention something like that this morning.

Amun's lips pulled into a half-smirk I knew so well as he moved so close I could feel his heat clashing with my own, but he made no move to touch me. It drove me insane to be so close to him and yet so damn far, but I wouldn't give in. He still had to answer my question. I pushed back the animalistic haze that had been growing ever since Amun had lead me to a secluded place – away from the interference of his meddlesome father. _Take him as is your right. _It hissed at me begging to have his touch against me. It wanted him almost as much as I did.

"Mom pulled up her mental shield around this area for the whole night." My heart pounded as his voice dropped to a seductive silken vibration that shook through my suddenly extremely sensitive body. My mind had no problem understanding the implications of what he had just said. Edward would not know what we did here tonight. We were free of him, just as he was free of us.

I drew in a shaky breath as I looked into those lust darkened eyes of his. My own pupils dilated to match his own as my mouth went dry and my tongue darted out to moisten my suddenly parched lips. His deep rumbling growl was the only precursor before the strange separation between us was broken. Amun practically slammed me against the wall of the house. I couldn't bring myself to care if he had dented it. All I could get through my muddled thoughts was that Amun was finally touching me. Waves of sheer pleasure exploded through me as his hands seemed to be everywhere at once.

I forced my hands to his shirt and grasped his tie forcing his mouth down to mine where our lips met in a fierce embrace. There was nothing but raw desire flowing through my system. Like hell I was going to take this slow. Amun's lips worked like an expert matching my own in perfect harmony like we had always been meant to. The intense pleasure was something beyond anything I had ever experienced before. I couldn't get enough.

One of Amun's hands slipped up my thigh and under the thin piece of silk to cup my lace covered ass. My lips parted in a gasp of appreciation as his tongue flickered into my hot cavern. I couldn't suppress the moan that his ministrations forced out of me. He explored it quickly before meeting my own tongue in a battle for supremacy which he quickly won. I groaned again as his tongue withdrew only to mew in delight as his lips sucked on my bottom one.

"_Amun_." I pleaded as I ripped the tie from his body. _I need you. _He was wearing far too many clothes. I need his skin against mine. His shirt met the same fate as buttons pinged away from us. For a moment all I could do was drink in his pale chest before my hands worshipped the expanse of pure muscles. His hiss delighted me, and his muscles jumped under my touch as I moved them slowly south following the trail of hair that continued out of my vision. I hissed at the dark pants that blocked my path and went to tug them away but Amun's hands caught my own. My eyes met his as he pinned them above my head.

"Me first." He rumbled as his lips connected to my ear lob. I gasped at the strangely erotic sensation that swept through me pushing more heat to my hot pulsing core. I needed a release. God, I needed him.

"Amun." I breathed as his lips placed feather light kisses against my jaw and down my throat. I wanted to run my fingers through his hair. I wanted to pull him closer to me, but I couldn't get my hands free from his grip. I let out a frustrated breath before his lips found an extremely sensitive spot just above my pulse. I cried out in delight as he sucked on it. My body arched into him trying to bring him closer but unable to hold him there without my hands.

His teeth grazed across my throat before he continued sucking and nipping on my collarbone. His mouth was cool against my skin, but it sent waves of heat through me. How he did it I would never know. He was burning me, branding me, marking me as his own. I could do nothing except gasp and arch into his body trying to get closer to him as rational thoughts continued to disappear from my mind.

I was left in a haze of pleasure that demanded to be released. My wolf side was gaining control and I felt no need to stop its urges. They mirrored my own anyway. They wanted him. "_Take me."_Rumbled past my lips before I could stop it. Amun went rigid over me for a moment before he moaned against my throat.

"Damn, Leah." He said in a strangled voice as he finally fisted his hand in the blue silk that had until now managed to stay on me. With on fast tug the material ripped and slid to the floor. I couldn't help but grin down at it in silent victory. Amun had killed that damn dress. My thoughts were interrupted as his hands connected with the hot flesh of my stomach. My eyes were drawn quickly back to his face as he took in my appearance. He frowned at me.

I let a chuckle slip past my lips as he stared at my chest. "Alice's idea. Get them off me now." I still couldn't move my hands from where he held them above my head.

"Gladly." He responded as he removed the flesh-like cups letting my exposed breast bounce free. The cool air along with my arousal quickly raised my nipples to stiff peaks that seemed to be straining to get closer to him. His massive hand cupped one as I felt my body melt under his touch. A gurgled sound passed through my throat as his mouth encased the other. His tongue swirled around the swell of my breast before his teeth flashed over the sensitive flesh.

I practically screamed in pleasure as more heat coiled instantly inside of me. I felt like I was going to die from it. It was so intense. "_Amun!"_ I wrestled against his grip trying to get closer to him, but I couldn't do it. In sear desperation, I pushed my feet off the ground and wrapped them around his bare torso pulling him as close to me as possible. His mouth released my breast as his other hand curled around my back to hold me in place.

"Take them off." I practically growled at him. Did he not see how lost I was? I _needed_ him _now_.

He smirked before returning his torturing mouth back to my neck. "Soon, I promise." I let out a frustrated, strangled moan as I tried to fight against the pleasure he was giving my neck. "Drop your legs." He commanded.

I wanted to stay connected with him, but the authority in his voice demanded me to do as he asked, and I instantly responded following the orders of my mate. He pushed me back against the wall and molded his body against mine before I could protest. His available arm moved swiftly down my body. I didn't even have time to protest before his fingers slipped into my hot, wet core. My eyes rolled to the ceiling and my mouth opened in a gasp. Amun's mouth was on mine in an instant muffling my pleasured moans.

_Oh, God! _I thought as his finger moved inside of me. My heart rate thudded in my chest and my breathing constricted as he pushed another finger into my tight core. "_AHHHHHH!"_ I screamed as the heat in my core seemed to burst into a thousand fragments of fire that burned through my system. My body clinched against his fingers in release. My mind went completely white as pleasure pushed me into an emotional high.

My body screamed in satisfaction as I fell back to earth feeling like I had been drugged. Amun's harsh pants and electric touch broke through my haze as he once again sucked on my collarbone. The fire that he had just sated sprung back into life with a vengeance. It wasn't enough. I need more than just his hand. I need all of him. _NOW_. "Amun, please." I begged.

His grip on my hand finally loosened as he tore the last remaining piece of clothing off my body. I brought my hands down to equally relieve him. His pants fell to the ground and soon his boxers followed. I couldn't take my eyes off the rock hard shaft that proved he was more than ready for me. I was forced back against the wall before I could move to touch him. His arms pushed my legs upwards hastily. I quickly wrapped them around him and clung to his neck needing this just as much as he did. I didn't miss the tremors running through his body as I moved against his rigid organ.

It took only a moment before I was positioned above him. His tip pushing against my hot inner flesh. My eyes met his as a look of raw passion passed between us before I loosened my grip on his shoulders and buried him inside of me. My head fell back in euphoria as my cry of delight mixed with his own. I had no time to adjust (not that I needed too) before he was pushing against me, into me. His deep, fast strokes were unlike anything I had ever felt. I was left only able to rock back against him as the friction grew between us, stroking the fires in my core and bringing me over the edge of bliss far too early. I screamed as orgasmic release rushed through me for a second time. His hard shaft did not stop its madding motions as I came back to earth. In what felt like a mere second, he had manage to bring me back to the edge of release again, but I refused to go over without him. I forced my eyes opened and bend forward my eyes focusing on his pale neck. I attached and sucked against his pale skin tasting his salty sweat. His body rippled beneath my hands and he sucked in a breath. His seed pushed inside of me just as he called my name. It was too much, I was pushed over the edge of sanity again as we both came together.

I was pushed backwards against the wall as Amun's head came to rest against the crook of my neck. His breathing was just as labored as my own. I smiled in delight against his bronze hair. I felt him smile against my skin before he chuckled.

"What?" I said as I rubbed my hands across his perfect back.

"Isn't your first time supposed to be an actual bed?" He asked as his still hazy eyes met mine. I couldn't help the laugh that passed through my still gasping lips. It shook my body and he tensed beneath me. My eyes grew as I felt _something _growing harder inside of me. He smirked back at me. "There's always my second time." He growled against my ear as he made his way towards the bed with me still clinging to his waist. Heat coursed through me again as I fell on top of him. _I love Bella._ I though as I began to move my hips against his own and I was rewarded with delightfully husky moan from Amun…

Hours (many blissful hours later) I lay on that silk covered bed sweaty, exhausted, and euphorically pressed against Amun's bare body and let out a shaky breath.

I was finally home.

_At last._

_

* * *

_

So, there you have it. That is the end of Winter Solstice. Several people have asked for a sequel. I have thought hard about how I wanted to do one, and I don't think I'm ready to write it quite yet, but I do have a companion piece that fits between Winter Solstice and the sequel that will come. It doesn't really focus completely on Amun and Leah, but on the character Case. *giggling* I loved creating Case. He's not a perfect character, but I think that's why I like him so much. Because I think even he deserves to have a mate, this story decided to mull around in my head until I decided to put it on paper. So here you go:

**Broken: **Summery: Companion to Winter Solstice. All Susan Brennen wants is a vacation away from her opressive Voltri work. Suddenly, she ends up with a werewolf, halfling and far too flirtatious rogue as borders in her home. Did she forget to mention the mob boss who wants her dead or the dark past that just won't leave her alone? So, is it any wonder that she finds herself pinning to work for the Volutri again?

It's going to be ploty, twisty, and lemonly. Yes, it will be much more mature than this story. (Sorry if that bothers you) It not imperative that you read this story before reading the sequel (which still needs to be written), but I think you would enjoy it if you have enjoyed Winter Solstice. One last comment about it. It is going to be written in 3rd person pov, so that will be different and cool, I think.

Ok, enough shameless plugging. Winter Solstice is finished and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed creating it. As always, Thanks for reading.

TG


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